


There Is Only Inevitability

by i_have_an_au_fetish (luciferslegions)



Series: Thor/Tsubasa AU [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Religion & Lore, Other Fandom Tags to Be Added, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), Thor (Movies), Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Attempted Sexual Assault, BAMF Frigga (Marvel), Because that's bullshit Marvel, Bifrost, Canon Divergence - Thor: The Dark World, Dark Thor (Marvel), Dimension Travel, F/M, Frigga Lives (Marvel), Gen, Jötunn Loki, Kattegat (Vikings), M/M, Memory Loss, Multiple Universes Colliding, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parallel Universes, Possessive Thor (Marvel), References to Thor (2011) and Avengers (2012), Sexual Content, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Tauriel & Loki are BFFs, The Nine Realms, Thranduil is kind of a dick but still fabulous, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:53:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 68,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24356857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luciferslegions/pseuds/i_have_an_au_fetish
Summary: Sequel to "There Are No Coincidences In This World" (<-- PLEASE READ THIS FIRST OR YOU WILL BE CONFUSED AF)As the search for Loki's memories continues, relationships are tested, and it soon becomes impossible to distinguish friend from foe.  Unable to depend on his "friends," Loki seeks comfort from the man who only exists in his dreams.  However, he seems to have vanished!  And when Ymir's true motivations are revealed, how will Loki stop him?SLOW UPDATES
Relationships: Floki/Helga (Vikings), Lagertha/Ragnar Lothbrok, Legolas Greenleaf/Tauriel (implied), Loki (Marvel) & Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Thor (Marvel)/Loki (Marvel), one-sided Thor (Marvel)/Loki (The Dark World)
Series: Thor/Tsubasa AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/277062
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	1. ???? - Loki In The Sky With Diamonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I wouldn't post this until I had a few chapters finished, but I changed my mind. Some of you may already know where this chapter takes place, since I included tags before I decided to make this into a series. Newer readers will just have to wait, but it shouldn't be that hard to guess. The next chapter will have the location in the title.
> 
> I will add other fandom and character tags when I post the chapters that introduce them, because I don't want to spoil anything.

Either the Gatekeeper was growing tired or his aim was becoming sloppy. Heimdall had dropped them in the middle of a forest. Loki landed hard on his back and had the air knocked out of him. There was something pressing painfully against his lower back, which was probably a tree root. There were other groans of pain and discomfort nearby. Sif, who was making the most noise, sounded like she was above them.

“What in the Hel… _is_ this?” Sif grunted as she continued to struggle.

Loki managed to turn over on his side, and he saw that the shieldmaiden was ensnared in some sort of… well, he wasn’t sure what it was. It looked like thousands of white sticky threads. An image formed in his mind, but he couldn’t identify what he was seeing. His head was foggy, and he felt disoriented. He noticed movement in his peripheral vision. His eyes lethargically followed a pair of boots which were stumbling towards the female member of their group.

“Let go of your sword. I will cut you out of this.” Thor’s voice had a strange echo.

“Thank you, Thor.”

Thor was either unable to catch the sword or he did not even try to. The clang of the metal hitting the ground made Loki’s head throb and his teeth chatter. Loki had forgotten about the pain in his back until he tried to sit up. He watched as Thor took Sif’s sword and tried to cut through whatever was holding her captive. Rather than liberating her, the weapon became more tangled every time Thor hacked away at the bonds. Loki rose to his feet and grimaced at the pain in his back. He then clumsily made his way towards the two figures.

“I want to try.” If Loki had been more clearheaded, he might have compared his tone of voice with drunkenness. He swayed again and grabbed the closest object to keep himself steady; it happened to be Thor’s bicep. “Woo…”

“Are you alllllright, Loki?”

“Sure I am, Brrrother.” 

In the back of Loki’s mind, he had an odd feeling that he was supposed to be angry at the other man. He couldn’t think of any reason why. He seemed like a decent enough fellow. Whatever the reason was, it probably wasn’t all that important, anyway.

“Does anyone else get the feeling we’re being watched?” Everyone glanced over at Fandral, who was scratching his head and dazedly looking around. When no one answered him, he merely shrugged. “It’s probably just me, then.”

“Hogun, why are there two of you?” Volstagg asked, but he was directing his question to a tree. Their Grim friend was sitting cross-legged on a rock and barked out a laugh.

“Ha! Classic Volstagg.”

Loki turned his attention back to the white threads. He touched it with a fingertip. It was indeed sticky, and it stretched as he moved his finger up and down. The threads vibrated as he drew his hand back, almost like a harp string. He stared at the threads until they stilled, and then he placed both hands on them. He closed his eyes tightly, as if that would help clear his fogged mind, and inhaled deeply. As his breath was let out slowly, Loki thought of home. Dark blue slowly crept up his arms, and the threads beneath his fingertips hardened and crystallized with ice.

“You should be able to cut through it now,” Loki said after he pulled his hands off and his skin began to revert back to its lighter color.

Thor raised Sif’s sword and sliced through the threads. Although some of the sticky threads were still wrapped around her body, she was no longer suspended above the ground. After Thor helped cut off the rest and returned Sif’s weapon, he stepped towards Loki, who was rubbing his temples.

“Thanks for your help.”

“Nothing else was working.”

“I wonder what these things are. They’re all over the place,” Thor muttered as he looked at their surroundings. He then turned his gaze to the man next to him. “Do you sense a feather here?” Loki nodded.

“Yes, but I cannot tell if it is far away or if this forest is overpowering it.”

“I know what you mean.” That unpleasant echo was present in his voice again. “Can you tell what direction we need to go?”

“The feather is that way,” Loki answered, pointing at a thick grouping of trees which was as indistinguishable as the others. “But I don’t know what we will find when we get there.”

“Hopefully a way out. This forest is having a negative effect on me,” Hogun mumbled as he rubbed a hand over his face.

“And I do not know how much longer I can tolerate all of these voices before I lose my mind.”

“What voices?” Thor asked.

“You mean… you cannot hear them?” Thor shook his head.

“What are they saying?”

“I cannot make out any words, but there are sounds. Almost like hissing. They are all around us.”

“I knew we were being watched,” Fandral grumbled.

Thor’s eyes moved in every direction, searching for any signs of a predator. But the trees and white threads were so thick that they were the only things he could see. A shiver crept up his spine when he realized how exposed and vulnerable they were. It was similar to what he felt when they were in that other Asgard and he realized the ogres had devoured the villagers and assumed their forms. Only this time, the enemy could not be seen. He glanced over at Loki, who was staring down at his hands.

“We should get moving. It is too dangerous for us to stand here, not knowing what dwells in this forest. And it could take a long time before we reach the location of Loki’s feather.”

This forest was so strange. One moment, his mind was clear, and the next Thor felt like his brain was trying to sprout wings and leave his body behind. There were multiple noises of agreement, and then Sif’s shrill remark broke through the collective silence.

“No, Volstagg! That is a tree, not your wife!”

After recruiting Hogun’s assistance, Sif was able to detach their Valiant friend from the poor tree. Volstagg blinked harshly to try and clear his head.

“Starting now, we should probably attempt to make as little noise as possible,” Thor said before he began heading in the direction Loki had indicated.

Loki followed silently behind him, and he found it ironic that Thor of all people was telling them to be quiet. But he also thought that their efforts would be futile. Whatever was dwelling in these woods was already aware of their presence, so it did not really make a difference how much noise they made. Loki was so occupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice Thor had slowed his pace and was walking beside him. Because there was no clear path, and due to the close proximity of the trees, they were lightly brushing shoulders.

“I did not realize you could turn into your other form at will.”

“Neither did I. I did it just now without even thinking about it.” Loki looked down at his hands for a moment before he continued speaking again. “This was only my second time doing it, the other time being…”

“In your dream,” Thor answered, remembering the burns he had received on his hands.

Loki suddenly remembered why he was supposed to be angry with Thor and the others, and he increased his speed so he was several feet ahead. Thor maintained his current pace, seeming to know better than to try to talk to Loki while he was in his current mood. Loki closed his eyes as he breathed in and out slowly. As long as he kept his focus on the feather, he would be alright. That being said, he also wanted someone to talk to in order to keep his sanity. People probably wouldn’t consider talking to a voice in one’s head something that a sane person would do, but it was better than conversing with traitors and fake friends.

‘I wanted to thank you for helping me in my dream. I would not have been able to survive that fire without you.’ He waited for a few moments, but there was no response. ‘Are you there?’ 

Again, there was no answer. Even though his soulmate had told him he would always be there until the day they finally met in person, Loki figured that this accursed forest was blocking their mental connection. While he was disappointed, he supposed the current situation was better than having to listen to the voice of the man who was eagerly awaiting his death. 

~*~

They had only been walking for a few minutes, but already arguments were breaking out among the small group of travelers. It also became apparent that no one was concerned with making too much noise.

“We are going in circles,” Volstagg groaned. “We have been this way already.”

“How can you tell? All of the trees look the same,” Fandral replied. Loki let out yet another sigh of frustration.

“It makes no difference what our surroundings look like. We are heading in the direction of my feather.”

“Oh, sure. Let’s take _his_ word for it,” Volstagg grumbled.

“Explain yourself, friend,” Thor demanded as he moved to stand next to Loki. “We have no idea what realm we are in, so how can you say that our being lost is Loki’s fault?”

"Surely I am not the only one who feels this way. How do we know that he is not leading us into a trap? There probably isn’t even a feather here.” Loki stared at him with a look of disgust.

“I don’t know, maybe the fact that I have never been here before and that there _is_ a feather in _that_ direction?”

“How do you know you have never been here?” Thor was about to give him a piece of his mind, but his remark was cut off when Hogun stepped towards Volstagg.

“I am going to have to agree with Volstagg. He would not remember because of the memory loss, but before that, he would frequently disappear. Even Heimdall could not locate him.”

“And it would not be the first time he has double crossed us,” Fandral added.

“You all are surely jesting,” Thor said. He then turned to Sif, who had yet to say anything. “Sif, please.”

“I am so sorry, Thor. But they are right. Even if he does regain all of his memories, there is still so much about him that we don’t know, anyway.” She took a deep breath and her expression turned into one of regret. “Besides, if he needed a motive to betray us, after recent events… he has one, now.”

Loki wanted to laugh, but he was too disgusted to do so. The nerve of this woman.

“If you are so concerned with untrustworthiness, I would suggest you all take a good look at yourselves before you accuse me of betrayal,” Loki snarled. He hadn’t intended to say it loudly, but his words made the others flinch. Good. “When I woke up after losing my memories, you called yourselves my friends. I had no choice but to believe you, since I knew no differently. But then some of my memories started to return, and I began to question if what you said was the truth.

“I knew I had my answer when I found the feather in Freyja’s feathered cloak. You were just being nice to me and inviting me on your stupid adventures because you thought that would make Thor fall in love with you.” Thor stiffened next to him and rounded on Sif.

“Is this true?” Sif’s mouth was moving, but no words came out. “Is it?!”

Fandral, seeming to feel that the conversation was moving too slowly, let out a sigh. He crossed his arms in an aloof manner and wore an expression of indifference.

“He’s telling the truth, for once. Sif told me years ago, when we were still children. I’m not surprised that Loki was eavesdropping.” Sif looked at the warrior with wide eyes, shocked that he had admitted it. “I guess we now know why you looked at us like that.”

“I can’t believe you!” Thor yelled. “This whole time…”

‘No,’ Loki thought. ‘Thor can’t isolate himself from the others. If he does, he will never let me go.’ He needed to prevent that from happening at all costs.

“Don’t act so high and mighty. You are just as guilty as they are. Or have you already forgotten about how you allowed Odin to take my son away?”

“Loki, please.” 

“All of you are nothing but liars and deceivers,” Loki hissed before he turned his back on them.

Everyone began speaking at once, either shouting accusations or trying to keep the peace. Certainly, the forest was behind their paranoia, but who was to say that these were not also their true feelings?

“Please, we must not begin fighting amongst ourselves,” Thor begged, but it fell on deaf ears. 

Loki tried to block out all of the noise, but it was impossible. He considered continuing alone, but even he wasn’t cruel enough to leave them stranded in an unknown forest, despite how angry he was. Instead, he made another attempt to speak to the one person who would be able to hold him together.

‘Please, I need your help. I cannot depend on the others, and I do not want to do this alone.’

There was a brief pause, but at last there was a response. Only it wasn’t his lover who spoke, but his ancestor.

‘They are coming.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, after updating my Fandroki fic, it breaks my heart making Fandral act like such an asshole to Loki in this story. 
> 
> Let me know what you think of the sequel so far, and try not to spoil it for anyone! I will try to finish the next chapter soon!


	2. Middle Earth - Itsy Bitsy Spiders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a head's up, it has been a VERY long time since I read _The Hobbit_ , and I have not watched "Desolation of Smaug" since it was in the theater. So, I am taking liberties with descriptions of the forest (I literally only had YouTube videos of Mirkwood scenes), and the realm itself. For example, Sif being unable to free herself from the webs whereas Bilbo was able to cut himself out with Sting. I was just pretending that some of the webs are stronger than others, and I needed an excuse for brief Jotun!Loki. I will try to keep all of the Tolkien peeps in character as much as possible, but again, I only had YouTube videos for reference. And I was listening to the soundtrack for inspiration. All hail Howard Shore.
> 
> Basically, to any diehard Tolkien fans: calm yo tits.

The voices seemed to have multiplied. Either that, or they were getting louder. Loki looked around and tried to pinpoint the source, but it was for naught. He then noticed a new sound. It was some sort of scratching, almost like crawling insects.

‘No. Not insects.’

And then, as soon as he saw the shiny black eyes appear above him, he realized why the threads had seemed so familiar. Loki drew his twin daggers and slowly backed away. He stopped and spared a glance over his shoulder at the others, who were still bickering amongst themselves. They really were unaware of the creatures. Silence be damned, they had already been caught.

“Spiders!” There were some remarks of confusion. “This forest is filled with gigantic spiders. They are watching us right now.”

“Enough of your tricks, Loki,” Volstagg grumbled. “Pft. Giant spiders. What kinds of fools do you take us for?”

“Despite what you may think of me, and regardless of what kind of person I was before, this is _not_ a trick,” Loki said through clenched teeth.

It was almost shocking to Loki that nobody believed him. After everything they had been through on this journey so far, and considering the sorts of creatures they probably encountered before he lost his memories, giant spiders really didn’t seem all that weird. Any reply from Volstagg or anyone else was cut off when they heard a chorus of horrifying, primal sounds. It was almost like a call to battle, just before the first attack. Actually, that turned out to be the case.

The spiders quickly descended upon them from every direction, and the forest was filled with the clashing of various metallic weapons. The trees and spider webs glowed bright blue as tendrils of electricity erupted from Mjolnir. Thor swung his hammer in a wide arch and sent two of the creatures flying. There was a loud and satisfying crunch when the spiders landed in a crumpled heap on the ground, never to move again.

Thor then turned and looked at the others. Although every one of them fought bravely, no matter how many spiders they brought down, the beasts just kept coming. Loki was struggling the most. Although he had weapons, he obviously had not recovered memories of his fighting techniques. Without them, all Loki could do was wildly swing his knives and hope he hit something. Thor noticed a pathway had opened when the spiders he killed tore through the webs.

“Everyone! Lie on the ground!” Thor shouted as he spun Mjolnir above his head.

Sif and the Warriors Three responded immediately, since they knew what Thor planned to do. Loki hesitated only a few seconds, but he too did as Thor asked. As soon as they were all out of harm’s way, Thor unleashed waves of electricity at the spiders. Because of Mjolnir’s rotation, the lightning traveled on a relatively level course, rather than being unstable and harming his friends. All of the spiders that surrounded them fell to the ground, some twitching and some completely still. Even if the lightning only stunned the spiders, this was the opportunity they needed to find a larger and safer area.

“Let’s move, before some of these spiders wake up and come after us,” Thor said as he secured his bag over his shoulder. 

As Loki grabbed his discarded bag from the ground, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had no idea how much longer he could have fought off those spiders with weapons he didn’t know how to use. Although he was thankful that Thor temporarily took care of the spiders that were attacking them, in the end it was futile. More spiders were already coming after them, so it made no difference where they went.

“Loki, are we going the right way?” Thor shouted over his shoulder.

Loki’s eyes darted from side to side, searching for any kind of opening so that they could return to the correct path. Although they were not too far off, if they did not change direction soon, it would eventually turn into a problem. A few moments later, he spotted an opening in the trees which appeared to have been left untouched by the spiders. He increased his speed so he could grab Thor’s arm. The blond turned his head to look at him, and then his gaze followed the direction he was pointing.

“See that gap there? That is where we need to go.”

“Yes! I see it!”

Thor led the others through the trees, and what he saw before them made him come to a sudden and complete stop. Behind him there was a series of curses when Sif and the Warriors Three crashed into each other.

“A warning would have been nice,” Sif growled. “Why have we stopped?”

Instead of answering her question, Thor simply pointed at the path. It was obviously manmade, but it also appeared to be very old. Light colored stones had been laid in the earth, and they seemed to stretch for miles. Had they not been dressed in armor, Thor and his companions might have been able to walk in pairs, shoulder to shoulder. However, because they were, in fact, wearing armor, they had to continue through the forest one at a time. This was only a concern because, in addition to the effect the forest had on their minds, it was impossible to determine the hour and how much daylight they had left.

Loki thought it was strange that such a well-made path just started at a random place in the middle of an equally-strange forest. When he turned to look at the opening in the trees they had come through, he saw that the stone path extended in the other direction they had just come from. He blinked a few times in an attempt to clear his head, but their surroundings remained unchanged. The weirdness of this forest seemed to intensify the longer they remained there.

About a minute or so after they continued walking, Loki noticed how quiet it was. The spiders were still watching them, but for some reason they had gone completely silent. And the creatures seemed to be keeping their distance. It was almost as if they could not get any closer. Was it because of the path?

“Why are they not attacking us?” Sif asked, tension clear in her voice.

“Because they cannot enter the path,” Loki said, answering his own question. “I feel them in the trees, watching us. But unless we leave the path, they cannot harm us.” Fandral scoffed in annoyance.

“Why couldn’t this path have appeared from the beginning?” Nobody had any answers.

Loki was glad that the path was protecting them from the spiders, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was just as dangerous as the rest of the forest. Or perhaps more so.

~*~

As they continued on their journey through the forest, Loki’s suspicions about the path seemed to be true. Although he could not prove that the path was actually the cause, he did notice that the hallucinations became more vivid and intense. And it felt as if his energy was being sucked into the ground through his feet. He wondered if any of the others felt it, too.

Loki tried to block out the illusions, but everywhere he looked he saw them. Eyes emerged from the trees, the stones, even his hands. Deep, gravely voices called to him from invisible mouths. He almost wished he could hear the spiders again. It wasn’t as if Loki believed the hallucinations were real. He was not that far gone, yet. What bothered him was the fact that the eyes were white, like Ymir’s. And the voices echoing all around him were the same as the one that was taunting him in his head. Loki must have made some kind of noise because Thor stopped walking and turned around to face him.

“Loki, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Thor asked as he placed his hands on Loki’s arms.

“It’s nothing. I was only…” When Loki lifted his gaze to the other man, his eyes widened in pure terror. Instead of Thor’s handsome face, he saw Ymir’s wicked sneer. Even though Thor’s grip was gentle, to Loki, it felt like Ymir was trying to break his bones. Loki shut his eyes and tried to free himself. Not realizing he was doing so, Thor strengthened his hold. “No! Let me go!”

“Loki, it’s me! I’m not going to hurt you!”

When the grip on his arms tightened even more, Loki struggled and thrashed about. He then opened his eyes and set his hands on areas of Thor’s shirt which were made of cloth instead of armor. His eyes flashed red for a moment before his hands turned blue. Thor grunted and released Loki’s arms when the icy hands dissolved the cloth and burned his flesh. Loki then dropped to his knees and tightly wrapped his arms around himself. Sif, who was standing behind him, drew her sword. She lowered the blade to his right shoulder, but Thor raised a hand to stop her.

“But Thor, he wounded you. He is dangerous!” Thor let out an exasperated sigh.

“The burns are not that serious, and they are already healing. Besides, you and I both know he did not mean to harm me. This forest is messing with our heads and making us see things that aren’t real.” Thor spared a glance at Loki, who was curled in on himself and lightly rocking back and forth. “He was truly afraid when he looked at my face, so I must have assumed the appearance of someone else. Ymir, most likely.”

He made another gesture for Sif to lower her weapon. Although she was still hesitant, she reluctantly obeyed. Thor then got down on one knee in front of Loki. The other man was breathing heavily and muttering something in between gasps of air.

“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die…”

Without even considering that he might be burned again, Thor pulled Loki to his chest, cradling the back of his head and gently stroking his hair. Loki was trembling, but he no longer seemed to be afraid that Thor was a threat.

“I won’t let that happen. I am going to keep you safe,” Thor whispered against Loki’s temple.

‘No one is going to separate us,’ he thought as he tightened his grip on the man in his arms.

Almost as soon as the visible signs of anxiety appeared, they vanished. Loki suddenly froze, and his breathing instantly returned to normal. Thor loosened his grip as Loki turned his head to the right. From the look in his eyes, it was hard to tell if he was watching the trees or listening for something. When Loki moved to stand up, Thor did the same. 

“What is it, Loki?”

“The feather moved a moment ago, but it suddenly stopped.” The tone in his voice sounded as if he had completely forgotten about what just happened. He narrowed his green eyes. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Nothing about this forest feels right,” Thor said with a chuckle.

Loki fully turned towards the direction of the feather. He stood there silently for a moment, as if waiting for something. He then looked down at the stones beneath his feet. His voice was eerily calm when he spoke.

“The path changed direction.” There were a few grumbles of annoyance.

“Even this protective path has turned against us,” Volstagg mumbled. 

“The sooner we find the feather, the sooner we can get out of this forest,” Thor said. “Let’s make a run for those—Loki!”

Before Thor could finish his thought, Loki had already drawn his knives and left the stone path. The trees seemed to thrum with excitement as the spiders converged on their prey. Loki managed to slice through the webs with ease, this time, but as soon as the obstacle was taken care of, a spider dropped a few feet in front of him. He skidded to a stop and raised his weapons, prepared to fight.

“Loki, get down!”

He fell to the ground just before Mjolnir took off his head. The hammer and the spider crashed through tree trunks. The creature let out a strangled cry just before it died. When Mjolnir returned to his hand, Thor turned and stared at Loki in mild shock.

“Loki, I just swore to protect you. You can’t just run out like that.”

“No one else was moving, so someone had to.”

“The Loki I know would have come up with a plan before running into battle.” Loki gave him an icy look.

“I already told you, the Loki you know is gone.” Before Thor could reply, Loki pointed over his shoulder. “There’s another one.”

Thor turned and assumed an offensive stance as the spider crawled towards them. This one was different from the others they had previously faced. Its shell was a creamy white, and it looked more sharp and jagged, rather than round and fleshy. Behind the spider, Thor noticed some sort of structure on the stone path. It appeared to be a bridge. He started to spin Mjolnir on his finger, and when the spider was close enough, he smashed the hammer against the creature’s jaw and sent it flying. The upper half of its body landed on the stone path, and it let out a horrid screeching sound. Thor flew towards it and, before it could crawl away, he brought Mjolnir down on its head, sending it through the stone bridge and into the murky water below. Not waiting to see if it survived, Thor quickly returned to Loki’s side.

“Stay close to me,” Thor said as he looked around for more of the enemy. Loki huffed.

“Quit treating me like a damsel. I’m not completely helpless.” His next remark was cut off when Thor’s intense gaze met his.

“I know you’re not helpless, and it was not my intention to treat you like a damsel. Even though you are still angry with me, just let me protect you. I want to make it up to you for what happened in that cave.”

Loki mentally scolded himself for staring. Even though he tried, he was unable to look away. It was as if Thor’s eyes were trying to pull him in. As bitter and angry as he was about Thor’s betrayal, Loki could not deny that there was still something that prevented him from leaving him. And it certainly didn’t help that his soulmate seemed to have gone AWOL and was not there to help keep him grounded. He dug his nails into his palms, focusing more on the pain and less on the blue eyes that held him captive. With an exhale of determination, Loki stiffly lowered his gaze to the ground. As he watched the blood drip from his palms and splatter on the dirt, he felt another presence approach from above.

Twenty, maybe even thirty figures glided swiftly along the tree branches. The Asgardians watched in confusion as the attacking spiders began dropping all around them. When the newcomers revealed themselves, they still moved too quickly for the warriors to discern any features. Only when they were surrounded with arrows pointed within inches of their noses did they figure out what they were dealing with. The main physical feature which gave it away was the pointed ears. The only question was if these were Ljósálfar or Dökkálfar. One of the men, who had long blond hair and icy blue eyes, was the first to speak.

“If you have any sense, you will surrender. Anyone who tries to resist will fall where they stand.”

Sif slowly reached for the knife at her waist, but a blade at her throat made her pause. The weapon was wielded by a woman with red hair. Sif mentally cursed for being so careless.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.”

“Search them,” the blond man ordered. He seemed to be the one in charge.

While they were stripped of their weapons, the Asgardians nervously looked around, expecting more spiders to ambush them. So far, they did not seem to be in danger, but as they had done earlier, the spiders could have been watching them and waiting for the right time to strike.

“Instead of relieving us of our only sources of protection, should we not instead be working together to kill the spiders? Or at least try to escape?” Thor asked. The blond Elf answered again.

“You should be more worried about us.”

“You don’t look so threatening to me.” Sif let out a hiss when the blade pressed against her throat.

“Are you sure about that?” The female Elf asked with a sneer.

“Tauriel. We are not to draw blood unless necessary. They are to be brought before my father.” He then turned his gaze back to Thor. “Remove his weapon.”

“You don’t want to be doing that,” Thor said haughtily.

“And why is that?”

“Try it and find out. If you can.”

The Elf’s eyes lingered on Mjolnir, which was still gripped in the Man’s hand. Because of the runes carved into it, he knew that it was made by Dwarves. However, since he could not read Khuzdul, he had no way of knowing what kind of power the weapon possessed. Despite their inferior intelligence, among other things, the Dwarves were extremely skilled craftsmen in their own right. Before he moved too hastily, he would need some leverage.

_“Tauriel, when I give the order, kill the woman.”_

Tauriel pushed Sif down to her knees and pulled her head back by her ponytail. The knife was held to her exposed throat, and the shieldmaiden had to stop herself from swallowing. 

“Sif!” Thor glared at the smirking Elf. Electricity began to crackle between his fingers, and his breathing deepened.

“Damn it, Thor, don’t be an idiot! Just drop it on the ground. It’s not like they’ll be able to lift it anyway,” Loki said from behind him, obviously running out of patience.

Thor continued to stare at the Elf, but after a few tense seconds, he allowed Mjolnir to fall from his grip. Even though he hated the idea of not having the weapon in his hand, he also knew that Loki was right. When the nearest Elf moved to pick it up, he found that he could not. Several other Elves gave it a try, but they, too, were unsuccessful.

“You’re wasting your time. None of you are worthy enough to wield Mjolnir.”

The Elf leaned closer to his face, narrowing his eyes. They both stared at each other, waiting for the other to break. Without moving his gaze, the Elf gave another order.

_“Be prepared to kill them all. If he tries anything, slit their throats.”_ All of the Elves that held Thor’s companions lifted blades to their necks. “If what you say is true, and you are the only one who can lift this weapon, I will allow you to carry it. But unless you wish to watch your friends die, I would advise against using it. However, I do believe you are telling the truth. Something so poorly made is perfect for you.”

Thor growled and almost lunged for him, but he managed to hold himself back at the last second. He bent down and placed Mjolnir at his hip, and he glared at the back of the Elf’s head. As they began to move, he was mentally seething.

‘This must be Svartalfheim. These Elves are far too unpleasant to be from anywhere else.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so Thor destroyed the bridge. Way to go, asshole. Apparently the bridge is only in the extended edition, but the scene was in one of the videos I watched. The white spider was supposed to be similar to the one Bilbo stabbed when he dropped The One Ring. As far as the film goes, I don't know if that was supposed to be the only one, but I also never said that Thor killed it.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Thranduil and all his fabulousness will be in the next chapter.


	3. Middle Earth - More Freakin' Elves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally I was going to have some one-sided, slightly non-con Thranduil/Loki, but I decided to just change it to some harmless flirting. Again, I am trying to keep the Tolkien peeps in character as much as possible, and I don't think Thranduil would go after Loki because of how much he loved his wife (hello, freaking necklace in the mountain).

While it would be inaccurate to say that Thor was on his best behavior, at least he didn’t do anything stupid and get his friends killed. He tried to win a battle of wits with the blond Elf, but clever comebacks were not his specialty. That was more of Loki’s department, but considering the current strain in their relationship, the former trickster was unlikely to come to his aid. In fact, Loki wanted no part of it. He had other things on his mind, like figuring out how they were going to get out of their current predicament and find his feather, as well as the reason why his soulmate was still not talking to him. Although they had not yet left the forest, there had been a significant improvement in their mental clarity after they were captured by the Elves. The hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia had all but disappeared. However, it seemed that Loki’s earlier conclusion about the forest’s blocking of his mental connection with his soulmate was incorrect. Something else was behind this, but he had no idea what it could be. He could still sense Ymir’s presence in his mind, but at least his ancestor was staying quiet.

After crossing yet another narrow bridge, the Elves brought them to a tall, looming gate. Loki did his best to observe as many details as he could, such as the number of guards posted and any potential means of escape. He figured none of the others were doing that, except maybe Hogun. From what he was able to see, this seemed to be the main, and only, entrance on this side. But Loki wasn’t about to give up.

Before the gates slammed shut behind them, Loki noticed some similarities to where they had stayed with Lord Frey. Mostly these involved the ways structures were built into or around nature. However, the beauty of this realm, wherever it was, could never compare to that of Alfheim.

Once they were inside, and the sky and earth could no longer be seen, the Elves brought them through a labyrinth of winding staircases. Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, they entered what must have been the throne room, if the seated regal figure was anything to go by. The resemblance between the blond Elf and this ruler was impossible to ignore. At least, it was assumed he was a ruler. After all, he was seated on a throne and wore a crown, made of twisted branches and red blossoms. Perhaps in this realm, wearing a crown was symbolic of a king’s status. Neither Odin nor Laufey wore crowns, except during special ceremonies. And although Frey and Freya were not monarchs, they were considered the rulers of Alfheim and Vanaheim and also did not wear crowns. 

The blond Elf came to a stop at the foot of the dais, and he uttered a verbal command. Most of the Elves left, except for those who held a knife to the prisoners’ throats. He gave a slight bow, and the king continued to watch him with no emotion on his face.

“ _Ada_ , we found these intruders in our forests, causing destruction in their wake.”

“Pardon us, but maybe if you had kept your pet spiders on leashes, we would not have had to defend ourselves,” Thor blurted.

“Legolas,” the king said, wearing a look of disdain as his eyes rested on the thunderer. Although his voice was quiet, it still held a tone of authority. “Why does this one still possess his weapon?” 

“Forgive me, Father. There is some kind of Dwarvish enchantment on the weapon that only allows him to wield it.” The king made a noise, and his lip twitched into a slight sneer. “Or so he claimed. While I cannot confirm that only he can use it, several members of our party tried and failed to lift it.”

“Have you considered that, perhaps, the Dwarves did not want Elves to wield this weapon?” Before Legolas could answer, Thor let out a chuckle.

“That has nothing to do with it. None of my friends can wield it, and they are clearly not Elves. Mjolnir can only be lifted by those who are worthy of its power.”

The Elf king seemed to take this as a challenge, because he got up from this throne and approached Thor. Every single movement was smooth and unyielding, with no hesitation or pause. The way his silver robes trailed behind him made it look like he was gliding on water. The two men stared at each other, similar to the staring contest Thor and Legolas had in the forest. Thor was visibly trembling with a rush of adrenaline. Then, with the same fluid movements as before, the king cupped his hands around either side of Mjolnir’s head, pulled it from the holster at Thor’s hip, and raised the hammer towards his chest.

Had there not been a knife at his throat, Thor’s jaw probably would have dropped to the floor. There was a chorus of surprised murmurs from Sif and The Warriors Three. Loki remained silent but watchful, trying to gauge just how dangerous this Elven king was.

“It appears that your trusted weapon favors me, now.” The king grasped the hammer in his right hand and turned it around, examining the runes and other details. “I am unable to discern its power just by gazing upon it, and I cannot read the primitive scratches of the Dwarven language. But I do not need to understand, since I have no use for a weapon such as this.”

“Since you have no need of it, then give it back.” The king made a noncommittal sound, then he turned around and began climbing the steps.

“I said I have no use for it as a weapon. However,” he paused, making a show of sweeping his robes aside before sitting on his throne, “I have found another purpose for it.”

Thor’s face turned bright red when the Elf king set Mjolnir on the floor, handle pointing up, and rested his feet upon it. His body was shaking so much that it looked like he was going to combust. Loki, who was standing behind Thor, saw the other raise his right arm in order to draw Mjolnir back to his hand. Loki quickly reached out and grabbed the closest body part, which happened to be Thor’s left hand.

“Thor, don’t,” Loki hissed.

“Loki, what are you doing?” Thor asked, trying to look over his shoulder.

“Have you already forgotten about the blades they are holding to our throats?”

“But Loki—”

“Don’t reveal your secrets this early in the game.” 

Thor clenched his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth, but a few seconds later he stiffly lowered his arm to his side. Loki must have already come up with a plan for how to get them out of this situation. 

“So, your names are Thor and Loki,” the king said levelly. “But that is all I know about you. You look like Men…”

“Speak for yourself,” Sif grumbled, earning a few snickers from Fandral and Volstagg.

“But I cannot surmise as to where you come from,” the king continued, seeming to ignore the shieldmaiden’s comment. “You do not wear the White Tree of Gondor on your armor, and due to my… cooperation… with the Men of Lake-Town, I know of no one there who dresses as you do. Are you, perhaps, Men of Rohan?”

From the slow and deliberate manner in which the king spoke, it almost seemed like he was in no real hurry to discover their identities or their reasons for being there. While Loki hoped to maintain some semblance of civility and diplomacy, time was not a luxury that they had. Thor seemed to have the same idea, or at least part of it, as he appeared to be growing impatient but cared little for civility.

“We come from Asgard—”

“I have not heard of ‘Asgard,’ but I do know of Isengard,” Legolas said with a hint of venom in his voice. 

“Well, I have never heard of any of these places you keep naming. So, are you going to tell us who you are and where the Hel we are, or not?” Legolas turned around and leaned close to Thor’s face.

“You seem to forget who it is that will decide whether you live or die.”

“You must forgive Thor. He is an idiot and cannot help himself,” Loki said dismissively. Thor didn’t react to Loki’s statement, but that was probably because he was used to hearing it. “Despite his short comings and lack of self-control, Thor is still the eldest son of Odin, King of Asgard, and not just some ordinary man.”

The king made a gesture to bring Loki forward. There was a slight tugging, since Loki didn’t realize he was still grasping Thor’s hand, but no one had their throats cut at the movement.

“I would give you a formal and proper greeting, however, I find myself… hindered, if you will.” The king continued to stare at Loki impassively, seemingly unimpressed. Loki then slowly raised his hands, palms out, as a sign of peace. “You have already relieved me of my weapons. And I can assure you, I have no other tricks up my sleeve.”

The king gave a slight nod, and the Elf who was standing behind Loki took a couple steps back. He was close enough to allow Loki some movement, but he would also be able to take Loki down quickly if he needed to. Loki stiffly brushed the dirt from his clothing, and then after adjusting the bag on his shoulder, he folded his hands behind his back and bowed.

“Before we continue our conversation, may I ask to whom it is I am speaking?” Instead of the king, Legolas answered.

“You are addressing Thranduil, son of Oropher, King of the Woodland Realm.”

“You do not come from this… Asgard,” Thranduil commented. “Your homeland lies elsewhere.”

“You have very keen eyes, King Thranduil. I am Loki, brother of Helblindi and Byleistr, third son of Laufey, King of Jotunheim.”

“How does a third son become king?” Loki’s green eyes rested on Legolas, who wore a slight smirk.

“He doesn’t. There appears to be a bit of a language barrier. My father is king, and I have no desire for a throne.” He then shifted his gaze back to Thranduil. “What I desire is the reason we have come to this place. And from what I have seen in our short time here, it has already caused significant damage.”

“In what manner are you referring to?” Loki knew Thranduil was testing him, so he needed to sound convincing.

“Why, the spiders, of course.” Thranduil furrowed his dark eyebrows but said nothing. “The spiders that were in the forest are not supposed to be there. And they began to appear recently.”

“Your words are sound. But how do you know this?”

“Because the item we seek is what has caused the spiders to leave their territory and bring a sickness to your realm.” Loki tried to hide his grimace as Ymir began to cackle in his mind.

‘Your feather has nothing to do with the creatures in the forest. Someone else has sent them here, and he is the source of the foul evil that plagues these lands. While he does possess great power, he is no match for me.’

“Since my companions and I are unfamiliar with this realm, I may be in need of your help.” Loki then pointed at a random spot on the chamber wall, just to the right of the king’s shoulder. “Tell me, what lies in that direction?”

For the first time since they were brought to the throne room, Loki saw emotion on Thranduil’s face. He looked tense, which was completely different from the figure they had observed up to that point.

“You seek something inside the Lonely Mountain, as well.” Thranduil removed his feet from Mjolnir and came to a stop on the second-to-last step, so he was standing just above Loki. There was a strange look in the Elven king’s blue eyes. It was almost like hunger. “I, too, desire something from the mountain. White gems of pure starlight.”

Loki felt a pang of homesickness at the king’s use of his nickname. He clenched his hands into fists and closed his eyes, pushing thoughts of his awaiting family to the back of his mind. Loki then attempted to mirror the expression of indifference that Thranduil had worn earlier.

“What of them?”

“I will let you and your friends go if you return what is mine.”

“And our weapons?”

“You will have your weapons, and more, if you so require. However, in order to ensure that you bring the gems to me, I will hold onto the Dwarf hammer.”

“You snake!” Thor bellowed.

“Mjolnir is Thor’s only weapon. If you take it from him, he will be defenseless,” Loki explained, remembering the incident with the ogres.

“Surely he knows how to use a sword,” Thranduil said dismissively.

Other than Thor’s heavy breathing, the throne room was silent. Loki continued to stare at the king, watching his facial expressions. Although it was very subtle, he noticed something lying deep within the Elf king’s eyes. Fear.

“You are powerful enough to wield the hammer of Thor, and yet instead of retrieving the gems yourself, you ask strangers who know nothing about this realm to do it for you.” The hesitation appeared to be rising to the surface. “What else dwells in the mountain? What causes such fear in you?”

Now, the only emotion that remained on Thranduil’s features was disdain. He leaned close to Loki’s face, as he had done to Thor earlier, and his lips curled into a sneer.

“I warned the King under the Mountain what his greed would attract, and he and his people suffered for it. Dwarves have always coveted gold over all else, even their friends and allies.” Thranduil then reached out and gripped Loki’s chin in a vice-like hold. Loki tried to keep his expression neutral, but the Elf’s acute hearing had likely already heard his racing heart. “It is strange, that you and your friends use weapons forged by Dwarves, but from what I can see… you hold no love for their kind.”

The way that Thranduil was gazing at his lips, and the faded scars which decorated them like garland, sent a chill down Loki’s spine. Behind him, Thor began to thrash violently.

“Do not touch him!” 

Loki shut his eyes and blocked out the sounds around him. His mind reached down deep into his very core. There was a shift in his blood, and a wave of coolness enveloped his body. Ice solidified around his heart, and it expanded and contracted with his pulse. Frozen tendrils traveled through his veins, to the tips of his fingers and up towards his neck. Only when he heard the king’s hiss of pain did he open his eyes, red like the blossoms of the Elf’s crown.

The Elf who had been standing near him replaced the blade against his throat. Thranduil stared at his palm, a mix of awe and wonder on his face. He then closed his wounded hand into a loose fist and his features turned into a grimace. The flesh on his cheek began to disintegrate, and deep, raw wounds appeared in their place.

“I have now been burned by fire and ice.” As the scarred tissue began to fade, and his skin was once again unblemished, Thranduil turned to Loki. “You said you had no tricks.”

“This is no trick. This is my true face. What you believed to be my true form was only an illusion, created by Odin in order to hide what I really am.” 

By the time he finished speaking, the last of his Jotun skin had vanished. His green eyes held the same bitterness that had been present in his voice. Again, Thranduil approached him, but he seemed to be more cautious.

“I know what it is you seek in the mountain.” Thranduil leaned close to Loki’s ear and laid a hand on his chest. “Your heart.”

Loki tried to pull away, but the Elf guard held him still. It made no difference anyway, because Thranduil had already stepped back.

“I understand. What is left of my heart also lies within the mountain.” His sympathetic expression quickly turned apathetic. “As Legolas said, I am in control of your fate. You can either bring me what I want, or you can rot.”

Thranduil made a gesture with his hand, and the Elves started dragging them out of the throne room. He turned and reclaimed his seat on the throne, placing his feet upon Mjolnir. As the prison cells came into view, the Elf king’s voice carried across the corridor.

“I have waited a long time to have those gems in my possession, and I can continue to wait. However, you are running out of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isengard gard gard gard gard. I HAVE BEEN WAITING (almost) 15 YEARS TO USE THAT JOKE. I REGRET NOTHING. Also, Lady Sif is fucking savage.
> 
> The reason why I keep mentioning their bags is because they will be important later (or at least one will). Basically, the Elves took all of their weapons and looked through their stuff, but they allowed them to keep their clothing and other nonthreatening belongings.
> 
> Feel free to leave comments, since I can't read your minds and have no idea if this is all just a load of crap.


	4. Middle Earth - Therapy Session And A Jailbreak

It had been at least a couple of hours since the Elves locked them in the cells. Although they could not be certain about the exact passage of time, they knew it was nearing nightfall because of the darkening of the sky. Each one had been placed in a separate cell, but there were still more empty cells available, and not all of them were near each other.

From inside Loki’s cell, which he assumed to be on one of the ends because of its close proximity to the staircase, he could see that the number of Elven guards and patrols continued to decrease as the hour grew later. Either the Elves were standing guard at a farther distance, using their superior hearing, or they believed the prisoners posed no threat without their weapons and, therefore, did not require constant surveillance. It made no difference to Loki. In a few hours, they would be able to get out of there.

~*~

When Tauriel entered the throne room, she saw the king pacing. His brow was furrowed in irritation. The Dwarf hammer was still in the same place, on the floor just in front of the throne. Thranduil did not cease his pacing when he addressed her.

“Did you kill all of the spiders?”

“We killed all of the spiders that were coming after the prisoners. They had already taken care of some of them before we arrived. However, there were more that were deeper in the forest. And I believe even more will come.”

“Tauriel, I want those beasts exterminated. Or, if that task is too much for you to handle, do whatever it takes to keep them out of our realm.” Tauriel tried to keep her face neutral as the king insulted her. He then leveled his blue eyes on her. His expression was full of contempt. “Legolas speaks highly of your abilities, and he trusts you to command his men. How many more times will you disappoint him before he deems you expendable?”

“I… swear to you, my lord, that it was never my intention to disappoint your son. He is a great leader, and I am honored to fight beside him.”

“It matters not what your intentions may have been. Failure is in your nature.” Even though Thranduil had turned away from her, Tauriel clenched her hands tightly at her sides, fighting back tears. “You are dismissed.”

After Tauriel left the throne room, she walked briskly towards the prison cells. She hoped that checking on the prisoners might serve as a distraction from her encounter with the king. But, most of all, she did not want Legolas to see her looking so forlorn. She knew he would ask questions, and if he knew the cause of her sadness, he would become angry with his father. She never wanted to cause any trouble.

Before she realized it, Tauriel had reached her destination. As she climbed the last few stairs, a voice called out to her from inside the first prison cell.

“You are treated like an outsider in your own home, too?”

“What?” The words took her by such surprise that she was stunned for a moment.

“I know that look. I have seen it reflected back at me in the mirror.”

Tauriel stopped next to the metallic cell door and looked inside at the seated figure. When he turned his green-eyed gaze towards her, and she recognized the deeper emotions that dwelt within, she understood his words.

“Am I really that obvious?”

“People who aren’t like us have a harder time noticing it, or identifying its meaning,” Loki said and turned his head towards the back wall. “Even though I was born in Jotunheim, I did not know of this until recently. I was taken by Odin as a baby and raised in Asgard.

“All my life, I believed I was Thor’s brother and a son of Odin, and yet, deep down, I never felt like I truly belonged. I was always treated like I was never good enough, that I was different, and I never fit in. I thought it was because I preferred to use magic instead of a sword, but it turns out that is only one of several reasons.”

Loki was basing all of this on what he saw in Tom’s movie, which, from what he had seen, was similar in many ways to the reality he lived in. Thor’s friends, and their recent behaviors and treatment of him, also helped to confirm his suspicions about his previous life in Asgard.

“If you know magic, then why did you not use it to try and escape?” Loki’s eyes met hers again before he answered.

“Besides the fact that you all were holding blades against my companions’ throats, I have forgotten how. There was an accident which resulted in the loss of my memories. We are traveling to different worlds to find them.”

“What you seek inside the Lonely Mountain… that is your memory?”

“Yes. It is greatly important that I find it. My life depends on it, actually.” Loki heaved a sigh. “But if what your king said was true, and that there is something dangerous in the mountain, then there is no way we could afford to leave Mjolnir behind as a hostage, if you will.”

“I wish I could say that he would understand if you told him this. But that would not be true, considering how he obsesses over his wife’s gems.”

“He was right about one thing, though. I am running out of time. If I do not regain more memories soon, then I will die.”

Tauriel didn’t know what to say. Would her words fall flat or seem disingenuous since they are complete strangers? No matter how much sympathy or compassion she might express, would he even believe her?

“I am sorry.” 

As soon as the words left Tauriel’s lips, she wished she could take them back. She averted her gaze, not wanting to see the look of contempt that was more than likely on his face. 

“I appreciate that.” When Tauriel dared to lift her eyes, all she saw in Loki’s expression was weariness. “It may not mean all that much to you, since we barely know each other, but I want you to know that you are not alone.”

“No. It means a lot. Thank you,” Tauriel said with a thin smile.

“And just remember that, no matter what others say, there is someone who, to them, you are their world. It may be someone you already know, or it could be someone that you have not yet met.”

“You seem so certain about this. Do you have someone like that?”

“I do. I have not met him, yet. But I know he is out there somewhere, waiting for me.” Loki glanced up at Tauriel when she hummed. There was a genuine smile on her face.

“Maybe my someone is waiting for me, too.”

The serene expression suddenly vanished when Tauriel heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Because the Elves moved so silently, Loki didn’t notice the newcomer’s presence until he saw movement behind Tauriel.

_“Tauriel, what are you doing here?”_ Legolas asked in Elvish.

_“I was asking Loki questions. I wanted to see if I could get some information about who they are and why they have come here.”_

Tauriel could feel Legolas’ intense blue gaze on her, and she did her best to avoid looking at him. His father’s earlier words were still too fresh in her mind.

_“And what have you found out?”_

_“Loki recently lost his memories, and he and his friends are traveling to different realms to find them. One of his memories lies in the Lonely Mountain. If he does not regain his memories, then he will perish.”_ Loki had mostly been tuning out their conversation, since he could not understand them. But when Tauriel looked at him with a warm smile, he responded with one of his own. _“I also learned that, even though we come from different realms, we are similar in many ways.”_

_“What do you mean by this?”_ Judging by his tone, Legolas sounded somewhat angry. But it wasn’t directed at Tauriel.

_“Forgive me, but even if I were to explain, I do not think you would be able to understand. Not like he does.”_ Tauriel gave a slight incline of her head towards Legolas. _“Good night, my prince._ Good night, Loki,” she said over her shoulder before she descended the staircase.

Loki had resumed staring ahead of him after he and Tauriel had shared their secret smiles. As soon as she departed, the Elven prince turned his full attention on Loki, and it was as if he was trying to murder him with his eyes. After the silent pouting lasted a little too long, Loki’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Don’t worry, I have no interest in her.” Loki then turned his head and met Legolas’ gaze. “You’re actually more my type.”

Legolas narrowed his eyes at him before he turned and went in the same direction Tauriel had gone. Loki tilted his head back against the wall and let out a small chuckle. He closed his eyes, and a crooked grin spread across his face. Who would have thought that making people uncomfortable could be so satisfying?

“Is that true, Loki? You’re into Elves, now?” A voice questioned from the cell next to his own.

“Thor?” Without waiting for a response, Loki huffed out a humorless laugh. “Hardly. Although, I do have a thing for blonds.”

“Yes, I suppose you do,” Thor said with a good-natured laugh.

However, it wasn’t Thor who came to mind when Loki said that. Instead, he was thinking about his still-absent soulmate. Although he had not yet seen his face, Loki knew he had golden hair, a longer length than Thor’s, and he had facial hair. And he remembered the sound of his voice; the voice of a stranger and yet still so familiar. And he could be from Asgard! The only other clue Loki had was from the second dream he’d had, where he was standing on a balcony and his name had been carved into the stone using runes. Since Loki had been raised in Asgard, there was no other place it could have been. What if they had known each other before Loki lost his memories? What if he was still in Asgard, waiting for him to return? From what Loki could remember about his dreams, the man already seemed to know him.

Loki heaved a sigh and laid his forehead on his knees. He told Loki he would always be there, so why did he disappear? The last time Loki heard his voice was when he was trapped in the burning maze. Loki then sat up with a startled gasp.

“What if he’s still stuck in the dream?” He muttered to himself.

“What was that, Loki?”

“Nothing. I’m just thinking out loud.”

“Oh. I see.” There was a bit of an awkward pause before Thor spoke again. “Hey, Loki… about what you said earlier…”

“Which part?”

“About how you never felt like you fit in.”

“What about it?” Loki had a feeling he already knew where this was going.

“Was that true? I mean… did you recover other memories that led you to believe that?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” The tone of finality in Loki’s voice must have convinced Thor to drop the subject.

“Alright.” After another pause, Thor asked, “Have you come up with any ideas for how to get out of here?”

“I’ve already got a plan. We just need to wait a little while longer.”

“You’re not planning on taking the king’s offer, are you?”

“Of course not. I'll let you know when it is time to make our move." Thor made a noise as if he was stretching his limbs. 

"Well, wake me up when it's time."

"I will."

'After all, you are the key to our escape.'

Loki leaned against the cell door and looked around. He couldn’t see any Elves standing guard, and he certainly didn’t hear any walking around. He just hoped that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation and had gone to report them to the king. After waiting for several minutes, to see if anyone came to drag them out of their cells, nothing happened.

He rubbed his hands together and placed his palms flat on the floor, near the right side of the cell door. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling a sense of calm as his Jotun form emerged.

Loki noticed that whenever Tauriel, Legolas, or any of the other Elves walked by the cells, they always used the same stairs to get down. He assumed that this was the only staircase to and from the prison cells. While he had been sitting in his cell, he remembered how he used his Jotun form to free Sif from the spider webs, and how ice had encased the threads. He wondered if the same could be done to the nearby floor and staircase. Thor’s role in the plan was going to be loud and draw a lot of attention, so if Loki could distract the Elves by making the stairs slick with ice, their chances of escape would improve. It was vitally important that this worked, since none of them had their weapons.

The few times that he had changed into his Jotun form, the effects wore off after a short amount of time. Loki knew that he would need to maintain this for a much longer period, in order to ensure that the ice did not melt too quickly, and that this would more-than-likely drain most of his energy. But this was a risk Loki was willing to take. He had no other choice.

~*~

Loki had been trying to maintain his Jotun form and freeze the floor for nearly an hour. It was already taking a physical toll on his body, and he did not think he could keep this up for much longer. His head was pounding, there was a sharp pain behind his eyes, and his limbs felt heavy. He wondered how Amora was able to keep him under hypnosis for so long.

Loki lost track of how many times his Asgardian form tried to reemerge. Any time that happened, Loki would think of home. He remembered how he’d felt when Laufey called him “Starlight” and embraced him for the first time. He thought about how Helblindi and Byleistr would bicker with each other, and how they had danced with him as if they had known him his entire life. He thought of Gerd, Thrym, the old sculptor, and all of the other Frost Giants who had been eagerly awaiting his return. It hurt Loki to know that, although he had once called it home, Asgard would never sing songs about him or hold celebrations in his honor.

When Loki could no longer maintain his Jotun form, he slumped against the prison wall and struggled to catch his breath. He felt something warm and wet on his upper lip, and when he wiped at it, his fingers came away smeared with blood. His jaw tightened and he fought against a shudder when he once again heard Ymir’s sinister laughter in his mind.

‘It appears that you have overdone it, this time. If I did not know any better, I would have assumed that you were eager for death.’

Loki refused to take the bait, and he certainly wasn’t going to respond in any way. Instead, he focused on his breathing. He just hoped that his body would heal on its own like Thor’s had done earlier. Speaking of the thunderer, Loki needed to wake him up. He had intended to wait another hour or so, just in case there were still a lot of Elves roaming about, but now he didn’t think he would be able to last much longer.

“Thor,” he hissed.

“I’m already awake.”

“Good. It’s time to finish this game.” Loki just hoped that Thor understood his meaning.

“Right. Sif, do it now!” Loki wondered what that was about.

There was a sound of ruffled clothing as Thor got to his feet, and then his steps grew quiet as he moved towards the back of the cell. A few cells away, Sif pulled her set of lock picks out of her ponytail. After she unlocked her cell door, she quietly began working on Hogun’s, which was nearest to hers. A moment later, there was a loud metallic clang as Mjolnir smashed through Thor’s cell door. Loki could hear the Elves shouting below, and he watched the staircase, hoping the ice would hold. The voices grew louder at first, but then they stopped their ascent. Suddenly, Thor’s large frame entered his peripheral vision.

“Loki, move away from the door so I can break you out.”

Loki got up unsteadily and held onto the wall for support as he limped towards the back of the cell. He hated to agree with Ymir on anything, but he may have been right when he’d said Loki had overdone it. Loki flinched when the prison door was knocked down, the top of it landing inches from his feet.

“Thanks.” 

“Why are they not coming after us?” Thor asked as he looked towards the staircase.

“I froze the stairs.” As he stepped out of the cell, Loki wiped at another droplet of blood from his nose. Although he was trying to be discreet about it, Thor noticed.

“Loki, are you alright?” 

“It’s nothing. We need to get out of here.”

“What about our weapons?” Sif asked as she unlocked Fandral’s cell, which was the last one.

“We can’t afford to waste time looking for them. We have no idea where they are being kept,” Loki explained. Sif and the Warriors Three looked skeptical. “I remember how to get to the front gate, but if we try to find our weapons, my sense of direction will be thrown off. And if we waste more time arguing about this, the ice on the stairs will melt and the Elves will capture us.”

“Fine,” Sif said with a scowl.

“How many of us can you carry at once?” Thor looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“How far are we talking?”

“Just down to one of the lower staircases.”

“All of you. I can use Mjonir to slow our descent, and gravity will do the rest. But first…” Thor raised Mjolnir and sent waves of electricity towards the Elves that were gathered on the stairs. Some managed to jump out of the way in time. Those who were not so lucky either collapsed on the stairs or they plummeted towards the darkness at the bottom. He then held both arms out, parallel to the ground. “Loki, you climb on my back since you’re the lightest. Everyone else grab an arm.”

“How do you know I’m the lightest?” 

“Because Sif doesn’t skip meals.” The shieldmaiden let out a loud scoff.

“Idiot,” she hissed, but she grabbed onto Thor’s left arm. If she was squeezing the limb more tightly than necessary, Thor didn’t notice.

Volstagg joined Sif while the other two warriors held onto Thor’s right arm. Loki wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck and his legs around Thor’s waist. Without warning, Thor jumped over the edge of the staircase. The drop was quick, and Mjolnir had little effect, but it was enough. Before they reached the ground, Sif and the others let go and assumed fighting stances. Loki released his hold on Thor’s neck, but as soon as he touched the ground, his legs collapsed beneath him. Thor turned around and looked at him, concerned.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No. My legs are weak.” Why couldn’t this have happened after they had escaped? Thor knelt down in front of him.

“Climb on my back. I’ll carry you. Just tell me which way to go.”

Loki was too tired to argue and did as he was asked. Arrows started flying towards them from all directions, and one would have pierced his skull if Thor hadn’t stood up and turned his body in time. Thor sent more lightning around the chamber, stunning more Elves and killing others.

“We need to go down. I’ll tell you which way to go once we reach the bottom.”

“Let’s go!” Thor yelled over his shoulder.

They began running, pursued by flying arrows and swift Elves. For the guards that wielded swords, Sif and the Warriors Three did their best to not only knock them off the stairs, but to also wrestle their weapons from their grasps. Thor swung Mjolnir back and forth, smashing the hammer against the Elf warriors with loud cracks. At long last, they reached the bottom, and ahead there was a divided path.

“Go right!” 

Lightning danced across the floor as more Elves appeared from various corridors. Sif and the Warriors Three used their newly-acquired weapons to deflect arrows. Loki felt his eyes beginning to droop, and he shook his head in an attempt to stay conscious. He tightened his grip on Thor’s waist. After giving a few more directions, the large gate came into view. Standing in front of the gate was a long line of Elves. Thor easily took care of them with one sweep of his hammer. When the guards fell unconscious, Thor threw Mjolnir at the gate. However, the doors appeared to weigh more than expected, resulting in only a small opening. After Mjolnir returned to Thor’s hand, he turned around and sent more lightning at the Elves that were following.

“Sif, you and the others go! I’ll keep them distracted!”

Loki was about to climb down, but then he noticed a dark stain on the back of Thor’s cape. His nose was bleeding again.

‘Damn it, stay awake.’

After Sif and the Warriors Three slipped through the opening in the gate, Thor threw Mjolnir again, creating more of a gap so both he and Loki could fit. A few more guards came after them, as well as more arrows.

“Thor, the mountain is that way,” Loki said, pointing to the left. 

They ran across the large terrace, circling around the outer walls of the Elven palace. It was dark, and the only light came from the Moon, so it was hard to distinguish their surroundings. Thor narrowed his eyes when he saw a gap in the intricate railing. Maybe it was another set of stairs that would lead them towards the ground. Before they could get close enough to see what it in fact was, three figures stepped in front of them. The two outer ones were holding bows and arrows, and the figure in the middle stood with their arms folded behind their back. The Asgardians skidded to a stop, but they did not drop their guard.

Loki’s eyes locked with Tauriel’s, who was standing on the left side of Thranduil. There was a mixture of hurt and waning hope in her eyes. Perhaps, she believed Loki might stay.

‘I’m sorry, Tauriel. It’s nothing personal.’

“Let us go,” Thor bellowed. “We have already broken out once, so there is no way you can keep us here. I do not want to harm or kill any more of your people, but I will if I have to.”

Thranduil’s expression was as impassive as ever. Just as he had in the throne room, he did not seem to be in any hurry to make a decision. When Loki’s head nodded forward, the Elf king’s eyes did not miss it. Before they had broken out, Legolas came to him and told him what Tauriel had said. Judging by the state of him, it was evident that Loki’s claims about his imminent death should their quest fail were true. 

“Let them go.”

_“Ada?”_ Legolas was staring at his father as if he had suddenly started speaking Khuzdul.

“If they are so intent on seeking out Death, then it would be futile for us to try and stop them. Since they refused my help, they should suffer the consequences.” Thranduil raised his arm, and both Legolas and Tauriel lowered their bows. The trio then stepped away from the staircase. Just as Thor began descending the stairs, Thranduil’s voice stopped him. “You have demonstrated the power of your weapon, and just how formidable it can be in battle. Make sure that, once you enter the mountain, nothing _else_ comes out.” 

“Are you going to tell us what’s inside?” Thranduil’s lips curled into a slight smirk.

“I am being generous by letting you go.” His gaze then shifted to Loki. “Even your ice magic will not be enough.”

Thranduil then turned and walked back inside, followed closely by Legolas and Tauriel. An order was given, and all of the other Elves lowered their weapons and began returning to the gate. Thor replaced Mjolnir in its holster and continued down the stairs without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In "Desolation of Smaug" there is a scene with Thranduil and Tauriel where Thranduil says, "I thought I ordered that nest to be destroyed not two moons past." So, this takes place two moons before Thorin & Co. show up. Also, I tried to make their conversation in this chapter somewhat similar to the one in the movie, but I obviously didn't want to copy it too much. I hope it turned out okay. 
> 
> I'm sure you all can guess who shows up in the next chapter.


	5. Middle Earth - Here, There Be Dragon(s)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a longer chapter. There's a lot going on. By the way, I am never writing a chapter this long again. It's exhausting.
> 
> I'm basing a lot of the geography on scenes from the Hobbit movies, as well as the map in the book.
> 
> Just an FYI, the last part of this chapter has a POV change. And it should sound familiar.

After Loki pointed them in the right direction, they entered the woods, with Thor in the lead and still carrying Loki on his back. They soon came to a river and followed it through the trees. Judging by the lack of webs, it was assumed that the spiders were not brave enough to come this close to the Elven realm. They had noticed when the Elves first brought them here that the number of spider webs decreased the closer they got to the Elven king’s halls.

Loki kept slipping in and out of consciousness, staying awake long enough to tell whether they were on the right path. For the most part, however, following the river was sufficient. Finally, about three or four hours before sunrise, Loki could no longer keep his eyes open, and he succumbed to the darkness.

“Now what do we do?” Sif asked with a huff.

Thor got down on his knees and loosened Loki’s grip on his neck. After he laid the other man on the ground, he stood up and raised Mjolnir above his head.

“I am going to go have a look.”

“I can’t even see my hand in front of my face, so how will he be able to see where we are?” Fandral asked after Thor vanished into the canopy of trees.

The only response in the quiet darkness was the constant trickle of the river. Thor had been gone for over a minute when small branches began to tumble to the ground. Thor landed in a crouch with a loud thud that shook the earth.

“Well? Did you see anything?” Sif asked.

“We are almost to the edge of the forest. I would say probably another hour. And I could see a lake, further east. It is still too dark to see any mountains, however.”

“Hopefully there aren’t too many mountains. We won’t know which one we want until Loki wakes up.”

“Well, the Elf king referred to it as the ‘lonely mountain.’ So, perhaps it is the only one.”

“And when have we ever been that lucky?”

“I would say we have been very fortunate, all things considering.” After replacing Mjolnir in its holster, Thor removed the bag from Loki’s shoulder and held it out to Sif. Because it was so dark, he couldn’t see the scowl on her face, but she took it from him, anyway. He then carefully lifted the sleeping form into his arms. “Let’s just concentrate on getting out of this forest. We can worry about the mountain later.”

When they reached the edge of the forest, it was still dark. As Thor had said, there was a large lake, illuminated by the moon, which seemed to stretch for miles. And they, of course, still could not see any other geographical features. But it would not be long, now. Loki was still unconscious, so they decided to use the time they had until he awakened to rest.

“We will rest here, for now,” Thor said as he laid Loki down and sat near the bank of the lake. “I will take the first watch.”

“Thor, no,” Sif objected. “You have carried him all this way. Allow one of us to take the first watch.”

In reality, they were all exhausted. The last time they had slept was when they spent the night with Chris and Tom and their co-stars. Thor wanted to protest and say that he was fine, but he also knew better than to argue with Sif.

“Alright. I’ll let you decide amongst yourselves. If Loki should awaken, I want to know immediately.”

There were a few nods of agreement before Sif and the Warriors Three began discussing the order of their shifts. Thor removed Mjolnir from his hip and leaned over to stroke a hand through Loki’s hair. His skin felt cold, but it was nowhere near as icy as it had been when he first lost his memories. At least Loki’s body seemed to be healing, because his nose had stopped bleeding. Thor pressed his lips to Loki’s cool forehead, and when the other male did not stir, he laid down on his side next to him. Thor reached out and clasped Loki’s slender hands in one of his larger ones, hoping that he might be able to transfer some of his warmth into him.

Somehow, it had been decided that Sif would take the first watch, so the others began to spread out and get comfortable. Thor had been watching Loki’s face for any change, but eventually his eyes started to droop closed. He released a deep breath and muttered a silent prayer that, whatever creature dwelt within the mountain, they would be able to vanquish it and find Loki’s feather. 

~*~

A couple of hours had passed when Thor was awakened by a hand lightly shaking him. He was about to sit up when the hand on his shoulder pushed him down.

“Don’t move.” It was Hogun’s voice. “There is a boat on the lake.”

At some point, Thor had rolled over onto his back. His hand still held onto Loki’s, and his palm felt clammy. He released Loki’s hands and wiped the sweat on his trousers. Then, as slowly as he could, he turned his head towards the lake. The first hints of sunrise were beginning to appear, but it was still dark. Sure enough, just as Hogun had said, there was a boat, quietly inching towards them. There was a single black shape inside the boat.

“Is Loki awake?”

“No. The others are. We are just waiting.”

Thor gave a single nod, and he carefully moved his hand around on the ground until it touched Mjolnir. He wrapped his fingers around the handle, and out of the corner of his eye, he watched the boat continue to draw closer. While the boatman was attempting the element of surprise, he had no idea that he was outnumbered by five very armed and very alert Asgardians. Thor almost felt sorry for him.

The boat came to a stop along the bank, and after picking something up and slinging it over their shoulders, the figure quietly climbed out of the boat. As he crept forward, Thor heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled taut.

Was it an Elf? Had Thranduil changed his mind and sent someone after them? If so, why were they coming from the opposite direction of the forest? It was then, when the figure came to a stop about three feet away, that Thor noticed the strong odor of fish. It was just a human. This would be over quickly.

With a flick of his wrist, Thor raised Mjolnir a few inches off the ground and brought it back down, causing the earth to shake. While the boatman was temporarily thrown off balance, the Asgardians sprang into action. The sound of an arrow deflecting off a sword rang in the air, as well as various grunts and footfalls in the wet sand.

At some point during the chaos, Sif had snuck up behind the boatman and struck him across the side of the head with the handle of her sword. He fell to the ground with a thud and a clatter of arrows.

“Good work, Lady Sif,” Thor said with a smile, and then he squinted when the sun began to peek over the horizon. “We do not even need Loki to be awake for this. There lies our destination.”

Sif and the Warriors Three turned their gazes to what lied beyond the far lakeshore. True to its name, a single mountain stood alone in the distance. While it was comforting to be able to see the mountain, they still had a long journey ahead of them. It would probably be nightfall by the time they got there.

“Well, we should start walking before we lose the light,” Volstagg grumbled. He blinked sharply when Thor clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“We do not have to walk. This fellow here just made our lives easier.”

“I must be so tired that I cannot think clearly.”

“Let’s get our things on board,” Thor said as he began carrying Loki towards the boat. Now that the sun was partially up, they could see that the craft looked like a boat on the front and back ends while the middle looked almost like a raft.

“What shall we do with him?” Fandral asked. Thor heaved a sigh.

“Bring him with us. Although he came with the intent of killing us as we slept, he does not deserve to be stranded and defenseless as he is now.”

After loading their belongings into the boat, Hogun and Volstagg grabbed the unconscious man by his arms and legs and laid him down. They used some rope they found to tie his hands, but not so tight that he would not be able to free himself once he woke up.

“Now what?” Sif asked as she looked at the mechanism the man had used to steer his boat. “Does anyone know how to use one of these?”

“Hold onto something.”

Because of the way the boat was made, there were only side edges at the front and back. Two warriors took either end, while Thor knelt down and placed a secure hand on Loki and lifted Mjolnir with the other. When the boat lurched forward, the other passengers swayed and struggled to keep a solid hold. It certainly didn’t help that they constantly had water splashing in their faces. Even the two unconscious figures were beginning to stir into wakefulness as a result of the cold water raining down on them. 

The lake had seemed so large at first, but it took nearly no time at all to reach the other side. While the others were unloading their bags, as well as complaining about their drenched clothes, Loki blinked his eyes open and looked around blearily. 

“What’s going on? And why am I all wet?” He barely had time to sit up before Thor drew him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Loki, thank the Nine you are awake!”

“Thor, I can’t breathe.” Thor immediately loosened his hold, but he moved his hands to Loki’s arms.

“Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away.”

“No worries.” Loki pressed a hand to his stomach and drew in a deep breath. “How long was I asleep?”

“Several hours. We were able to make it across the lake. And look! We’re almost to the mountain!”

Loki must have been asleep longer than he'd realized, because this was the first he had heard anything about a lake. He supposed that explained the dampness of his clothes. He looked in the direction of where his feather resided, and he saw a snow-covered peak, towering above rocky hills and cliffs they would have to climb. When he heard a noise behind him, Loki saw that a man with a rope tied around his wrists was slowly sitting up. He was tall with messy dark hair to his shoulders, a small ponytail atop his head, and a thin, dark beard. His clothes were plain and worn. He was clearly the owner of the boat they were sitting in, and judging by the state of his wardrobe, he relied on his watercraft to make a living.

“Please, I beg of you. Do not enter that mountain,” the boatman pleaded. “If you awaken that beast, he will destroy my home, just as he did to the city of Dale.”

“What is your name?” Loki asked calmly. Perhaps the man would give them more answers than Thranduil had.

“Bard. I come from Lake-Town, near here. I have three children. If you seek the treasure of the Lonely Mountain, then consider who it is that will suffer for your greed.”

“Bard of Lake-Town, although we are unfamiliar with your home and the city of Dale, seeing as how we come from different worlds, I promise you that we seek no riches, nor do we wish to bring harm to anyone. But it is vital that we find the item that lies in the mountain, for if we do not, I will die.” Bard did not appear to be swayed by Loki’s pretty words.

“And how many others must die should you fail to slay the beast?”

“King Thranduil refused to tell us anything about the creature that dwells in the mountain. Will you be more helpful than he was, Bard of Lake-Town?”

There was a flash of recognition in Bard’s eyes when the Elven king’s name was mentioned. Thranduil had said that he’d had dealings with the Men of Lake-Town. Then a new emotion filled the boatman’s eyes, one that Loki could not identify.

“What you said before about coming from a different world must be true, since you seem to know nothing about the dragon, Smaug.”

“A dragon? Is that all?” Thor then barked out a laugh. “We have faced worse than dragons! Right, my friends?”

“You don’t understand. You cannot take him by surprise. He will smell you as soon as you take a step inside the mountain. He is familiar with the smell of Dwarves, of Elves, of Men.”

“Well, he has never smelled anyone like us before.” Bard looked a bit confused. “Besides, he won’t stand a chance against the six of us.”

“He faced an entire Dwarf army and lived. He then burned the entire city of Dale to the ground, slaughtering everyone. His scales are like iron and cannot be pierced by spear or sword. He only has one weak spot, on the left side of his chest where one of his scales is missing, and only a Black Arrow can kill him. Thrór, the last King under the Mountain, had few of these Black Arrows forged, and now, only one still exists. I commend you for your courage and determination, but please reconsider—”

Bard fell with a loud crunch against the edge of the boat, with Sif standing over him. She had knocked him out again with her sword handle, on the other side of his head, this time.

“What? We might have been standing around here talking all day if I hadn’t shut him up.”

“You all heard Lady Sif! Let’s get a move on,” Thor said jokingly. “Are you feeling well enough to walk, Loki?”

“Yes, I can walk.” After he grabbed his bag and climbed out of the boat, he turned around and looked once more at Bard’s slumped form. “Will he be alright?”

“Of course,” Thor replied and laid a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll wake up within a few minutes, just like last time.”

Loki brushed the hand off and began walking along the river which cut through the gray wasteland. Even though the river and lake offered a plentiful water supply, the earth was dry and incapable of supporting life.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the bottom of the hill, at the edge of the river. Loki never once looked over his shoulder to see if the others were still following him. He didn’t have to, because he listened to the sounds of shifting dirt and falling rocks.

~*~

They had been climbing rugged and jagged hills for a while, and still no one uttered a word. The sun was high in the sky, their clothes completely dry, and their bodies warm. It was probably somewhere around midday. While Loki was content with the silence, at least in the case of his companions, he was unsettled by the quiet of their surroundings. It almost seemed as if the land was dead. Ever since they had left the forest, they had not seen a single plant or tree. There were no birds or other animals, either. 

Soon after the thought had crossed his mind about how nice it was that nobody was speaking, Loki heaved a sigh when the silence was broken. It was to be expected, of course.

“Damn. I should have refilled my water when we were at the lake,” Fandral said as he shook the last few droplets out of his waterskin. 

“I am running low, too,” Volstagg said.

“We could turn around and go back to the river,” Thor suggested, although he didn’t sound too thrilled about the idea.

“If we do that, then it will be dark by the time we reach the mountain,” Sif argued. “We won’t be able to find the way in, and although we could make camp for the night and find the entrance in the morning, I think we can all agree that none of us want to remain in this realm for longer than necessary.”

While the others were having their little discussion, Loki sat down on a nearby boulder and started digging through his bag. He pulled out the Elven flask that Lord Frey had given to him, took a couple swigs of the honey-sweet water, and then threw the flask at Thor, who scrambled a bit to catch it. Already, his body felt refreshed and his belly full.

“Pass that around. Take as much as you need.”

“Thanks, Loki,” Thor said before he drank his fill.

While the flask was exchanging hands, Loki looked down at the three books in his bag. They contained vast knowledge about soul magic and had been compiled by the red-haired Loki. He wondered how they were all doing, whether Sigyn had given birth to twin boys as she’d hoped, and whether he would ever see them again. He also wondered if he would ever get the chance to read these books. He needed to find a way to expel Ymir from his mind, and soon.

Loki noticed movement out of the corner of his eye as someone approached him. He spared a glance and saw that it was Volstagg, who was holding the flask towards him.

“I um… thank you.” 

“Hmm.” Loki let out a bitter and humorless laugh as he took the flask and shoved in inside his bag. “I may be angry as Hel at the lot of you, but that doesn’t mean I want you all dead.”

Loki shouldered the bag and resumed climbing the hill with an agitated determination. He could see the top of the hill, not too far ahead of him, and he quickened his pace. A sour feeling had settled in his stomach after he spoke those words to Volstagg. He was telling the truth, for he did not wish death on any of them, no matter how mad he was. The ill emotions came from the question he had to ask himself. Had they ever wished for his death?

Within no time, he had reached the top. He was standing on a much flatter and more even surface. There were no loose rocks or boulders near him, and still no plant or wildlife. What Loki saw before him made the color drain from his face. He paid no attention to the noises behind him, because he was so transfixed by what was in front of him. Thor seemed to sense his unease, because he came up beside him and looked at him with concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think we have found the city of Dale,” Loki said breathlessly. “Or what’s left of it.”

What had once been a beautiful city bustling with life now looked like a carcass that had been stripped of its flesh and tissue. None of the structures had roofs anymore, and, just like the hills they had climbed, all of the trees were gone, unable to regrow. All that remained of the city of Dale was the outer stone walls of empty homes, but even these were not completely spared from fire and decay.

“That Bard guy wasn’t kidding when he said that no one survived,” Fandral commented.

“Loki, are you alright? You look like you are about to be sick.” Thor placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder, but he did not brush it off, this time.

“If we fail to kill the dragon, then this is what will happen to Bard’s people.”

“Then we just need to make sure we get the job done.”

“And how many Dwarves and Elves and others who faced Smaug said the exact same thing? They had armies, of hundreds, probably. Maybe even thousands. And they _still_ could not defeat him. How are the six of us supposed to do what they could not?” Loki slumped his shoulders. “If the stakes were not so high, then I would say that we could leave this feather here and not have to worry about the deaths of innocents. But the stakes are high, and ignoring this feather means Ymir wins.”

“What do you want to do, Loki? Do you want to keep going, or do you want to leave this feather alone? We will follow you, no matter what you decide to do. _Won’t_ we?” Thor directed a pointed glare at Sif and the Warriors Three.

“We have already made it this far. The mountain is so close.” Loki looked down at his feet and gave a resigned sigh. “Let’s keep going.”

No one else had any arguments or objections, at least none that they voiced out loud. Within the span of a few minutes, Thor had flown each of them to the opposite cliff, and they began the chilling walk through the ruins of Dale. Being inside the city was even worse, because many things that were once hidden became visible. No one spoke while they were in the city. When they reached the other side of Dale, they entered an empty valley at the foot of the mountain, surrounded on all sides by tall stone walls.

“I am going to go have a look around and see if I can find the way in,” Thor said before he flew into the air and disappeared.

While Thor was gone, Sif and the Warriors Three sat down for a brief rest. Loki remained standing, his eyes scanning the mountain. There was no doubt about it. His feather was inside. He just hoped it wasn’t buried deep underneath piles of riches. And, wherever the feather was, he hoped they could find it and get out before Smaug woke up.

A while later, when Thor returned, the thunderer didn’t even need to say anything. Just the look of defeat on his face was evidence enough that his search for a doorway was unsuccessful.

“I searched every inch of the mountain and found nothing. There is no doorway, no caves, or entrance of any kind. There was a big staircase with statues carved into one side, but even that was a dead-end.”

“There has to be a way in. Others have gotten inside before. That’s what Bard said,” Sif argued.

“There may have been at one time, but no longer.” Thor glanced over at Loki, who was still staring intently at the mountain. “I could easily make a way in, but if I do that…”

“The dragon will hear it.”

“We still have to try,” Loki said, finally turning away from the mountain. “Maybe if we can find a part of the mountain where the walls are weaker, then we won’t make as much noise when we break it down.”

“Now that you mention it, I did see ledges and what appeared to be paths carved into the side of the mountain,” Thor mused. “Maybe these paths were used by people entering the mountain.”

“It’s a start. Take us there.”

~*~

It was not an easy climb, but they eventually made it to one of the ledges that Thor had seen. Everyone spread out and began tapping at the rock, listening for changes in sound that might indicate a tunnel or a difference in the thickness of the walls. Soon after he had begun searching his area, an unsettling feeling had taken up residence in the back of Loki’s mind. If felt like Ymir was purring. Something was making him disgustingly gleeful, and Loki wasn’t sure he wanted to know the reason.

‘So many dead… so many rotting corpses. How horrible it must have been when they found their only way out was gone. How much blood must have been spilled in order to claim what little air remained to them. How desperate they were to slay their own brothers.’ 

‘What are you babbling about?’ Loki mentally hissed. ‘And why are you so damn happy about death?’

‘When you experience it for yourself, you will understand.’ Loki rolled his eyes and went back to tapping on the rock. Then he remembered something Ymir said.

‘Wait… what did you mean by their only way out?’

‘Oh, _now_ you feel like listening to my advice?’

‘I wouldn’t call this advice. Do you know the way in?’

‘There was a door here, on the other side of your hand. It has since collapsed. All that remains is a pile of rubble and dead Dwarves.’

‘Why are you telling me this? Why are you helping me?’ Ymir chuckled.

‘I want to see just how terrible this dragon really is.’ 

‘I should have known.’

Loki tapped at the spot where his hand lay, but it sounded the same as every other place he’d checked. If the door had collapsed, then perhaps this part of the mountain was thinner. But would it be enough to go unnoticed by Smaug?

“Thor, there is a collapsed doorway on the other side of the wall here.”

“Good work, Loki.” When Thor came up beside him, followed soon by the others, he frowned at the spot. “I see no difference. How do you know?”

“Ymir told me,” Loki answered after a few moments of hesitation.

“What?” Loki shook his head, as if telling Thor not to ask questions. “And you believe he’s telling the truth? How does _he_ know?”

“Well, he did give a pretty graphic description of what lies on the other side of this wall.”

“But how can there be a doorway here when there is nothing but solid rock?”

‘Dwarves carve their doors into the mountain, and they can only open with magic. This was the way out, so the door was on the inside.’

“Ymir says that the Dwarves carved this door inside the mountain because it was used as an exit. The entrance must be somewhere else.”

“I don’t trust a word he says,” Thor spat.

“No, Thor, he’s right,” Sif said. “All Dwarves care about is their craft and their gold. They spend most of their time inside their mountains, and they do not want outsiders coming in to steal their wealth. It only makes sense that they would have one way in and one way out. And besides, only those who can read Dwarven runes can open the doors.”

Loki noticed that her eyes flickered towards him for a moment. Was that intended to mean that he had, at one time, known how to read that language? Or did this have something to do with that first memory he recovered, where Dwarves held him down as they sewed his lips shut? Next to him, Thor let out a growl of frustration.

“I don’t like this one bit. But if Loki says Ymir is telling the truth… well, I’ll trust Loki’s decision.”

The others still seemed skeptical, but, really, they all just looked like they wanted to leave this realm as soon as possible. Loki moved closer to the mountain and laid his palm flat on the area Ymir had mentioned before.

“The doorway is here,” he said, and Thor’s eyes focused on Loki’s hand. He then stepped away, as did the others, so that Thor would have more room. “I would have hoped that Smaug was a heavy sleeper, but considering the fact that he will be able to smell us as soon as we enter the mountain, that is highly unlikely.”

Instead of striking against the mountain as expected, Thor held Mjolnir out to the side, away from the mountain, and drew lightning from the clouds that had suddenly appeared overhead. Once he had absorbed enough electricity, he pressed the top of the hammer, which bore the circle of Dwarven runes, against the spot where Loki’s hand had rested. The mountain seemed to tremble, and a few chunks of stone tumbled towards them. A large crack began to form near Mjolnir, and then several more branched out, until the mountain started to give way. Inside, Loki could see the large pieces of rubble that Ymir had described, and as more of the wall fell away, he also saw the bodies. Even after the opening was large enough for them to walk through, the quaking did not stop. In fact, it seemed to increase.

“Everyone, get inside! The doorway is going to collapse!” Thor yelled.

While the others scrambled to climb over the fallen rocks, Thor pressed Mjolnir against the top of the opening, in an attempt to hold it up for a little longer. Once everyone was inside, Thor lowered Mjolnir and flew through the doorway mere seconds before it collapsed. In the dark, they stumbled over rocks and other objects that moved with more ease. It was only after Volstagg fell and laid his hand on one of these objects did he realize what they were.

“Bodies! There are dead bodies!”

“So, Ymir was right about that, too,” Loki said to no one in particular. “He said the Dwarves were trying to get out, but the doorway had collapsed, and so they all died here.”

“But could they not have gone to the other door? What were they running from?” Fandral asked.

“A dragon, perhaps?”

“Oh. Right.” Loki heaved a sigh, but it wasn’t directed at Fandral.

“I think it’s safe to say that Smaug knows we’re coming. Nobody could have slept through that.”

After they had made it out of the chamber, tripping and falling only a few times, Loki led them through several tunnels and halls. He was so glad that he could feel his feather, because if he hadn’t been able to, they would have gotten lost in the mountain and probably would have ended up joining the dead. 

The closer they got to his feather, the more Loki’s heartbeat quickened. Would Smaug be there waiting for them? Would he burn them alive as soon as they revealed themselves? Loki didn’t realize he’d been breathing loudly until he felt a calloused hand wrap around his own. He turned and looked at Thor in the darkness. He couldn’t make out any features, but he recognized the other man’s shape. It was so much like _him_.

“I made a promise to keep you safe,” Thor whispered. Loki nearly jumped because of how close he was. “And I have no intention of going back on my word, now. Dragon or no dragon.”

When Thor leaned forward and kissed him, Loki had to stop himself from making noise. If he reacted in any way, the others would know what they were doing. Thor knew it, too, and he probably thought that, with how strained their relationship was at the moment, these would be the only circumstances where Loki would let him get away with kissing him. Instead, Loki took his other hand and dug his nails into the top of Thor’s hand, just to demonstrate how he felt about this. He thought about turning into his Jotun form and burning Thor, but that would have drawn too many questions. After Thor pulled away, Loki leveled a fierce glare at him. Thor wouldn’t be able to see it in the dark, but maybe he would be able to feel his rage.

“I know. And that is the _only_ promise of yours that I agreed to,” Loki seethed before he tore his hand from Thor’s grasp.

Without another word, Loki continued down the corridor. All of the fear that had enveloped him earlier had been replaced by fury. He felt like he could take on anything, even a dragon.

It was not much longer before they first saw the golden glow of the treasure room. Whatever adrenaline Loki had been feeling earlier had vanished when the increasingly close proximity to the dragon’s lair registered in his mind. There was something else, as well. It was a sort of malignant foreboding, festering within the golden chamber.

‘Dragons are attracted to gold, and when they dwell in treasure hoards like this one, their lust and greed becomes absorbed into the gold. Anyone who finds the gold, and who has a greedy heart, becomes infected by the gold-sickness,’ Ymir said. ‘The gold-sickness in this mountain is oppressive, so Smaug has been here for a long time.’

‘I just hope it hasn’t affected my feather.’

‘Hmm. Now wouldn’t that be an interesting development?’

Loki shook his head, berating himself for engaging with Ymir in any capacity. He stopped just a few feet away from the entrance to the treasure room. When he turned around, the others had already drawn their swords, and Thor had a tight grip on Mjolnir.

“I think I should go in alone,” Loki whispered.

“Loki, no—!” Loki clamped a hand over Thor’s mouth and brought a finger to his lips. He waited a few more seconds before he removed the hand from Thor’s face. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Bard said that swords will not work. The only thing that can kill Smaug is a black arrow, which we do not have. There is no reason why all of you need to risk your lives when you have zero chance of landing a single hit.”

“If you still had your illusions and magic, I might have more confidence that you could do this alone. But you do not. At least allow me to come with you. I may not be able to kill him, but I may be able to keep him busy while you search for your feather.” Loki still wanted to argue against it, but Thor was stubborn, and Loki knew he would not take no for an answer.

“Fine. Just you.” He then turned to Sif and the Warriors Three. “You all stay here, and don’t make a sound. Only come to our aid as a last resort.” 

Loki took the last few steps towards the doorway, and he could feel Thor’s body heat against his back. He shook his head again. He needed to focus.

“I am going to have a peek. Hold onto my shirt so you can pull me back, if Smaug decides to shoot fire at me.”

Loki took a few deep breaths, and then he quickly leaned around the wall. His eyes moved rapidly, searching for the dragon. Thor was at his back, stiff as a board. 

“Anything?”

“I don’t see him.” Loki was relieved about that, but his relief was cancelled out by what he saw in the treasure room. “There is so much gold here.”

“Can you feel your feather?”

“Yes. It’s buried.” 

“Well, we won’t find it standing here.” Thor came up next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Tell me where it is and I’ll fly you there.” 

Rather than answer him verbally, Loki encircled his arms around Thor’s shoulders. He kept his gaze averted, concentrating only of the millions of gold coins that filled the treasure room. He pointed to a pile near the center of the room, and once they were above it, Thor slowly descended. He continued to hover about a foot above the gold, while Loki carefully loosened his hold on Thor’s shoulders. Even though he tried to be quiet, the small drop still caused him to land with a clinking sound. Several of the gold coins near his feet started to shift and tumble down the hill, but after a few seconds, they stilled. Loki stood frozen where he was, holding his breath and listening. 

Thor looked around for any sign that Smaug was awake, but there was no further movement. Loki exhaled a sigh, and once his breathing was steady, he slowly eased himself down into a crouch. He watched with bated breath as Thor landed below him on the pile of gold, making more noise than he had. He directed a glare at Thor and shook his head, and then he turned slightly and lowered his hands to the gold.

The feather was very close, maybe only a few feet down. The only problem, besides Smaug waking up, was the coins that he’d moved falling back into place. Maybe if he scooped the coins in a downward motion, rather than sideways, they would not pose a problem. That just left the coins above him. And regardless of what he did, he would still be making too much noise. Loki was so deep in thought, trying to come up with a plan to reach the feather, that he didn’t notice the hot air right away.

He then heard a sound, like deep breathing. Every exhale was uncomfortably warm against the side of his face, and it blew his hair into his eyes. Loki was afraid to move.

“Thor,” he squeaked.

“What is it?”

Before Loki could answer, the piles of gold began to shift, creating an avalanche of coins and gems. The coins beneath Loki’s feet rose, and he tumbled a bit until Thor caught him. The thunderer flew down, closer to the bottom of the mountains of treasure. Their mouths fell open as the movement of the gold spread from one end of the room across to the other. Then, red scales started to be revealed.

“I can feel the feather. It’s rising to the surface.” Loki had a very bad feeling about what that meant.

At the spot where Loki had been kneeling just a moment ago, a humongous snout emerged, followed by bright orange eyes which narrowed in on where they were standing. By the time all of the gold had stopped shifting and sliding, the dragon’s body was uncovered, except for its feet. Smaug took up almost the entire length of the room.

As soon as Smaug had ceased his movement, so, too, did the feather. When Loki saw his feather, he was overcome with dread. He saw it glowing, on the left side of Smaug’s chest, tucked in the hole where a single scale was missing.

“You smell different from the Men I have eaten before,” Smaug stated casually, as if talking about the weather. 

“He’s talking. The dragon is talking,” Thor mumbled.

“Yes. I noticed,” Loki deadpanned.

“Tell me, where do you come from? I do enjoy variety in my meals, occasionally.” His eyes never left them, but he lifted his head and watched them from above. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” 

He was teasing them. This was all a game to him. But the deep growling voice made it all the more sinister.

‘I like this dragon.’

Loki grimaced and tried to tune Ymir’s voice out. Smaug raised his snout and sniffed the air.

“If you two don’t feel like talking, maybe your friends will.”

“We came alone,” Thor said. Smaug barked out a laugh.

“I’ve heard that before.” He sniffed again. “There are four, skulking behind the wall. One is a female.”

“It matters not. They are safe, and they will not be coming.”

“Except as a last resort, you mean.” When Loki’s eyes widened, Smaug laughed again. “You may have thought you were being sneaky, but you were not!”

Smaug raised himself up, and his front leg burst through the coins. He turned his large body and crawled in a complete circle. Smaug wasn’t even looking at them anymore, because he knew they would not be able to escape. He was toying with them, like a cat that allows a mouse to crawl a little before it drops a paw on the poor thing’s tail. 

“Loki!” Thor held Loki tightly and flew into the air as another tidal wave of gold bore down on them. 

“Have you, like the many before you, come to steal from me? Or did Oakenshield send you?”

“We do not know of this Oakenshield, but we have come here for something,” Loki said.

“Ah! So you do have a voice of your own!” Smaug said gleefully, and then he spun his long neck around before settling his bright orange gaze on Loki. “You have come to rob me, then.”

“Is it theft if the item is mine?” Smaug began crawling again, and he curled his body in a circle.

“Everything in this mountain is mine. Every gold coin, every gem, every sword and precious stone.”

“And what about a feather?”

“A feather?!” Now, Smaug’s look of excitement was similar to a dog who was waiting for his owner to throw the ball. “Now, I’ve never been asked _that_ question before.”

“You would not miss a simple feather, surrounded by all of these riches. You did not even know it was here. It is clearly of no value to you, so you would not miss it.”

“Oh, but that is where you are wrong. It is of value to you, because you went to such means to find it. So, it is of value to me.” He lowered his head towards them, and Thor flew closer towards Smaug’s tail. “So tell me, thief, where is it?”

“Are you sure you really want to know?” Loki wriggled out of Thor’s arms, and when Thor looked at him questioningly, Loki’s eyes shifted to Mjolnir. Thor nodded, and he tightened his grip on the handle. “It is there, on the left side of your chest.”

As Loki knew he would, Smaug raised the upper part of his body so that he could look for the feather. Electricity pulsed through Thor’s right arm, and he fired a stream of blue lightning at the dragon’s chest. He just hoped he wouldn’t destroy the feather.

That turned out to not be a problem, because just as the lightning was about to hit the spot, Smaug let out a roar and used his wings to draw himself up higher. The lightning hit the scale next to it and ricocheted. The good thing was that the feather was dislodged from the hole. The bad thing was that Smaug was furious.

“You are a thief and a liar! Oakenshield sent you here to kill me!” The loudness of his voice caused the inside of the mountain to tremble. “I knew it was only a matter of time before he would try to retake the mountain from me, but I never expected him to have someone else do it for him! Everything you said about a feather was false! He just wants the Arkenstone! Well, he can’t have it! I will never let him be King under the Mountain!”

The entire time that Smaug was raging, Loki’s eyes were following the feather. It changed direction with every flap of Smaug’s wings and every sweep of his long neck. He was so transfixed on his feather that he didn’t notice Thor yelling. 

“Sif!” Within seconds, Sif and the Warriors Three had come from around the corner and ran towards them with swords drawn. “To Loki!”

This was a sort of code used by Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. It meant that they were to form a protective circle around whatever came after the word “to,” and they were to stand close together.

“There you are,” Smaug spat as his gaze turned towards the newcomers. 

“Heimdall! Get us out of here!”

“What?” Loki said in a daze. “We can’t leave yet.”

Smaug stomped towards the huddled figures and his head swooped down upon them, his mouth opened wide and his fangs gleaming. The dragon stumbled slightly when Thor grabbed his tail and pulled. The mountain’s shaking increased and the light of the Bifrost began to manifest in the rocky ceiling. Carvings of fire appeared in the piles of gold, beneath the feet of Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three.

“Everyone hold onto each other so we don’t get separated,” Sif said. Loki turned and looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Normally, we would have to return to the landing site. But that would mean going back into that spider-infested forest. Since we are not leaving from our original landing point, we could be separated during transport. If we do not hold on to each other, we may all end up in different realms.”

While Sif was explaining, Thor kept aiming Mjolnir at Smaug’s head, and the dragon would snarl and bellow in anger. Smaug opened his mouth even wider, and his throat started to glow. Just as the flame erupted from his jaws, aimed at the circle of Asgardians, Mjolnir struck the side of his face. Just like on Muspellheim, Loki watched helplessly as Smaug’s redirected flames burned the feather. Loki slumped to the ground, but an arm around his shoulders pulled him up again. He didn’t care to know who had grabbed him.

“Thor, hurry!” Fandral shouted.

Thor flew towards them and landed inside the Bifrost markings, standing on the outer edge of his friends’ protective circle and facing Smaug. He glanced up at the ceiling as the light brightened, and then his eyes fell on Smaug again. The dragon quickly shook off Thor’s last attack, and he growled and dove towards them. His head entered the circle just as their feet left the ground, and the remaining power of the Bifrost pressed him into the mountain of gold before it returned to the sky.

~*~

After they had defeated the opposing army in Vanaheim, as per Asgardian custom, a celebratory feast was held. The battle ended fairly quickly after Thor arrived and killed the enemy’s secret weapon, but even their giant was no match for the God of Thunder. Hogun was the only one who remained behind, choosing to help his people with repairing their village over drinking and storytelling. Well, Thor actually told him to stay behind, but that was because, deep down, he knew his friend would never have asked.

Perhaps Hogun’s absence was the reason for the melancholy which settled in Thor’s stomach as he rose from the table and made his way towards the entrance of the banquet hall. Before his banishment to Earth, he would have happily spent hours with his friends drinking, boasting, and laughing long after the sun rose. Now, silence was his only comfort, it seemed. 

This was not the first time he had left a feast early. If he thought carefully about it, Thor would guess that the first time was soon after Loki had let go of Gungnir and had fallen into the void. At the time, he believed Loki had perished, and the loss of his brother forever changed him. However, Loki survived, and the joy that Thor should have felt was stripped away after what happened in New York. Now, Loki was locked in the dungeons, deep beneath the golden floors of Asgard, and Thor felt nothing but cold indifference. 

Sif had stopped him on his way out of the celebrations, and they spoke for a short while. She brought up the very thing he had been thinking about earlier, commenting that he used to celebrate for weeks. She then asked him to join her for another drink, and when he declined, she told him of how others have noticed his frequent disappearances. She warned him that, as the future king of Asgard, his focus should be on all of the Nine Realms, not just the one where Jane Foster lived. She didn’t say it so bluntly, but he got the underlying meaning. While he valued Sif’s council, and he told her so, all Thor wanted to do in that moment was disappear. So, he bid her good night and left her, somewhat at a loss for words.

A feeling of serenity washed over him as he walked along the recently-repaired Bifrost and approached the Observatory. Solitude was what he desired, and what better way to spend it than with one who lived a life of solitude. Even before he entered the Observatory, the Gate Keeper of Asgard already knew he was there. But that was to be expected. 

“You’re late,” Heimdall said without turning around. Perhaps Lady Sif’s claims of his frequent disappearances were sound, as Thor had unknowingly created a routine out of it.

“Merriment can sometimes be a heavier burden than battle.” Thor might have said that he was delayed by Heimdall’s sister, but he more-than-likely was already aware of that, too.

“Then you are doing one of them incorrectly.” Thor let out a chuckle.

“Perhaps.” He came to a stop next to Heimdall and looked out towards the cosmos. “How fare the stars?”

“Still shining. From here I can see nine realms and ten trillion souls.” Heimdall was watching him, like a silent sentry. He then sheathed his sword into its stand, and the ceiling of the Observatory began to transform. “You recall what I told you of the Convergence.”

“Yes. The alignment of the worlds.” Thor moved to the front of the Observatory while Heimdall came down the steps of the dais to stand next to him. “It approaches, doesn’t it?”

“The universe hasn’t seen this marvel since before my watch began. Few can sense it, even fewer can see it.” The Observatory stopped moving, leaving behind a large window which allowed the two gods a wider and clearer view of the stars. “But while its effects can be dangerous, it is truly beautiful.”

“I see nothing.”

“Or perhaps it is not the beauty you seek.” The Gate Keeper offered him a knowing smile, making Thor chuckle again. Truly, nothing could escape Heimdall’s gaze.

“How is she?” Heimdall took a few more steps forward, and Thor watched him silently, waiting for news of Jane.

“She’s quite clever, your mortal. She doesn’t know it yet, but she studies the Convergence as well. Even—"

“What?” Thor knew something was wrong when the other froze. 

“I sense the power of the Bifrost being activated.” Thor’s eyes moved around, searching for something amiss.

“Nothing is happening.” Then, with cautious and deliberate movements, Heimdall turned around, looking at something still unseen, beyond the Rainbow Bridge.

“Not here.” Heimdall walked briskly towards the entrance of the Observatory with Thor following close behind him. “There.”

In the distance, where a giant cliff loomed, the clouds parted and the familiar colors of the Bifrost appeared. However, the column of light was unstable, flickering brightly and almost pulsating. Just before it returned to the sky, six beams of light were expelled in different directions. Two of these lights passed through the walls of the palace, and one of which went deep underground. Near the dungeons.

“I must go. Send word immediately if anything else should happen.”

Before Heimdall could even utter a reply, Thor had already taken Mjolnir into his hand and was flying towards the palace. He could not allow Loki to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no... they forgot all about Jane... *cricket noises*
> 
> So, my head canon is that Smaug does not retaliate or leave the mountain because he was knocked unconscious by the Bifrost and when he wakes up no one is there anymore (and because none of them smelled familiar, he doesn't recognize their races, so he has no way of knowing whose city to burn). Also, the way they got in refers to a scene in "Desolation of Smaug" when Bilbo and the Dwarves find the bodies scattered near the collapsed doorway. Basically, Thor made the already-collapsed exit even more collapsed (and probably ended up smooshing some Dwarf corpses). He can't go anywhere without destroying things. *sigh*
> 
> Also, regarding the Bifrost, I'm using the canon of the first Thor film. In that film, whenever Thor or the others returned to Asgard, they always went back to the place where they had originally landed (on Jotunheim, they left from the place where Odin landed). So, in my mind, leaving from another location would cause the Bifrost to be unstable. Thor 2 kind of ruined it (I mean, when Thor takes Jane to Asgard, he doesn't even say anything to Heimdall, and he just kinda leaves from wherever he feels like it).
> 
> Sorry for the long A/N. I hope you enjoyed it! Please please PLEASE tell me what you think! Over 100 hits and still not one person has left feedback. I really don't wanna be that bitch, but... seriously.


	6. Asgard - Sleight Of Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few POV changes, just because everyone was separated. But I won't have a POV change for all of them, and it shouldn't be too confusing.

Although they tried to stay together, their efforts turned out to be futile. As gold coins and other fine items rained down upon them inside the volatile column of light, they felt themselves being pulled in different directions. At least they hadn’t ended up in different realms, otherwise they would never be able to find each other again.

Because Fandral had wrapped his arm around Loki when he collapsed in Smaug’s cave, and due to the chokehold-like grip he used, the pair was cast in the same direction. But they, too, were eventually separated. Fandral remembered he still had a hold of Loki as they plummeted towards what looked, strangely enough, like the Asgardian palace, but he lost sight of him just before they both passed through the walls. If this really was Asgard, Fandral just hoped that their lookalikes were nowhere near where they landed. Changing their names would not be good enough, this time.

Just as he had done on Muspellheim, Loki seemed to withdraw into himself after he watched Smaug destroy the memory they had worked so hard to find like it was nothing. It was only when he was thrown from the Bifrost that Loki came back to himself and began to worry about what was happening around him.

First, he felt himself being ripped from someone’s grasp, and he caught a glimpse of what might have been Fandral passing over him. He then saw that he was falling towards a solid rock wall, or the side of a mountain, and he dragged his stiff arms to shield his head just before he crashed through the solid surface. As he was passing through the several hundred feet of rock, Loki was surprised that he was not in any pain. Rather than consider the reasoning behind this, he merely felt grateful for it. It was only after he had reached the end of the mountain wall and he landed on a man-made stone floor that he felt anything.

It took a few seconds for Loki to get his bearings and sit upright. He found himself inside a bright gold room, enclosed in a small area with flickering, golden walls. He saw a pair of legs wearing leather boots a few feet away, and when he lifted his gaze to see the identity of the other figure, he found his own face staring back at him. While their black hair was slightly longer and wavier, this person reminded him somewhat of Tom’s character in the _Avengers_ movie that he’d been working on when they last saw him. Actually, to be more accurate, the resemblance was closer to the Loki he encountered in his dream; the one who had tried to kill him using the scepter. Had he ended up on another film set? It was possible because of the weird lighting. But as soon as those thoughts entered his mind, the other man smirked in a way that was very un-Tom-like.

“Well, well… it appears I won’t be left to rot in a prison cell, after all.” Loki tried to back away as the other advanced towards him, but he found himself trapped. “But you will.”

In a flash of movement, the other man grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and then they both tumbled to the floor, with Loki on all fours above him. He then grabbed Loki’s hand and held it in place around his neck. Loki tried to pull free, but the other man’s grip was too strong.

“What are you doing?” Loki asked, horrified.

“Getting out of here.” Loki stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed as the figure underneath him transformed. His green and black clothes turned into gold armor, and his hair shortened and vanished inside a gold helmet. In his peripheral vision, Loki could see his own hair growing, to the exact same length as the other’s had been. “Help! Help, he’s going to kill me!”

There was a chorus of shouts nearby, and then several men wearing identical golden armor appeared in front of the cell. One of them touched something on the side, and as the glowing barrier began to dissolve, all of the guards pointed their spears at Loki. He again tried to pull his hand free, but the other maintained his grip and started making choking sounds.

“Release him, now!” One of the guards bellowed.

“Wait! It’s not what it looks like! Please, you have to—”

“Let him go, you monster!”

All of the fight drained out of Loki, and his arms sagged and fell limp. The disguised Loki used that opportunity to throw him off balance, and a couple guards stepped forward to help what they thought was their comrade off the floor.

“You fool,” another guard hissed, “saying things like that is considered an act of treason. He is a prince—”

“He’s no prince. Not anymore,” the guard who called Loki a monster argued. “If he was, then the All-Father would not have had him locked up in here like a common criminal.”

As Loki began to sit up, he watched the guards start to retreat from the cell, but they still held their weapons aimed towards his chest. Behind the group, the disguised Loki was trying to shake off the guard who was supporting him. By the time he broke free, the other guards had all left the cell, and the barrier was reforming.

“We need to get you to the healers.”

“I’m alright. I can make it on my own.”

“Please, listen to me! You are making a mistake!” Loki shouted and ran towards the front of the cell. The barrier glowed brighter where he touched it, and he quickly withdrew his hands as the force field burned him. “He is the real Loki! He has changed his appearance in order to escape!” 

“Enough of your lies, Trickster,” hissed the guard who had control of the barrier. He turned to the man next to him. “We need to report this to the All-Father.”

“Sir! I’ve been told that Prince Thor is already on his way here!” A guard yelled from near the entrance to the dungeon.

Loki then felt a sense of relief. Thor would listen to him, and then maybe they would be able to catch the other Loki before he got very far. The guards all dispersed and returned to their posts, spread throughout the vast dungeon. Loki tried to get as close to the barrier as he could without harming himself in order to see just how large the dungeon was. He found that he could not see far at all. As he took a few steps back from the barrier, he folded his hands and began to fidget nervously when nothing seemed to be happening.

His heart rate quickened when he heard a familiar voice at the entrance. Even though he could not make out any words, Loki knew it was Thor speaking. When the other man entered his line of vision a few seconds later, Loki’s relief vanished. Thor’s hair was longer, with part of it tied in a braid, and he wore a dark cloak over his armor. But those things were not what caused a sickening feeling to form in Loki’s stomach. The blue eyes that stared back at him held no emotion at all. If Loki didn’t know any better, he would have thought that this man hated him.

“Loki, enough. No more illusions.” His voice was as devoid of emotion as his eyes were.

“I’m not… I can’t…” The other man let out a tired sigh.

“I will not speak to you while you look like… that.” Loki hesitantly reached up and felt his hair, which had shortened to its original length. “I know what you are trying to do. You are hoping to play with my emotions by appearing as you did before… before you lost your way. But that won’t work, not anymore. Until you start taking this seriously, then I have nothing to say to you.”

“Thor, wait! I’m not who you think I am!” Loki stepped up to the barrier again and watched as the man continued to walk away. “Please, Thor, just listen to me!”

But Thor did not listen. He did not stop or react in any way to Loki’s pleas, and when Loki could no longer see his form from inside the cell, he suddenly felt weighed down by dread. The other Loki, one who was dangerous enough to be locked in the dungeons of Asgard, was roaming free, and he was completely powerless to do anything about it.

~*~

After Thor had been thrown from the Bifrost, he crashed through several trees and landed painfully on a rocky cliff. If he were to turn just a few inches to his right, then he would go tumbling over the edge. Instead, he rolled onto his left side and pushed himself up. His head was pounding, and he could feel blood dripping from the right side of his face, but that would heal in no time.

Once Thor was able to stand on shaky legs, he took in his surroundings. He could not find any of the others, and the area did not seem familiar. Of course, all he could see was trees on one side and a deep canyon on the other. He raised Mjolnir, which he was miraculously able to hold on to, and flew into the air. He did not need to look for very long in order to figure out what realm they were in; at least, he hoped the others had all ended up here. Thor had landed on the outer edge of a large forest, and on the other side of the trees, he could see the Asgardian palace, shining brightly beneath the stars. Thor knew which direction he had come from, if the broken trees were any indication, so it should be easy to find the markings of the Bifrost site. Once he got there, he would use his lightning to signal to the others where to go. The only problem with this plan was that he would be seen by the Heimdall of this world, but hopefully the Gatekeeper would believe he was the Thor he knew.

~*~

Fandral ended up in a hallway. He skidded across the floor for a fairly significant distance before he finally slowed down and came to a complete stop. Other than being slightly disoriented, he was otherwise uninjured. As he got up, he was somewhat surprised to find the halls so empty. He could tell that it was nighttime when they arrived, but that made no difference in Asgard. There should still be lots of people awake at this hour. He reached up and scratched his head, froze when he realized what he was doing, and then quickly fixed his hair.

“You there!”

‘Of all the people…’ Fandral mentally cursed as he faked a smile and turned towards the voice.

“Lady Sif. Good evening.” The shieldmaiden wore a fur cloak around her shoulders, and her dark hair cascaded down her back in waves, but she otherwise looked the same.

“Forgive me, but I do not believe I know your name.” Fandral had to keep the look of surprise off his face. “Although, you do remind me of a friend of mine.”

‘Well, this is awkward. I guess I’ll have to fake my name in _this_ Asgard, as well.’

“Josh. My name is Josh.”

“Why are you not at the feast? There is plenty of drink left.” Fandral’s eyes shifted as he tried to come up with an excuse. “Wait, don’t tell me. Now I know why I do not remember seeing you before. You are one of the new Einherjar.”

“Yes. I am new,” Fandral said robotically. “So new, in fact, that I have not even been fitted for a uniform, yet. I am still unpacking,” he said as he shifted the bag on his shoulder.

“Was today your first time in battle, then?” Fandral nodded.

‘Okay, Fandral. I can’t believe it’s come to this, but you have to think like Loki. You need to make up a bunch of lies and sound convincing while doing it.’

“Do not worry, Josh. Everyone has to start somewhere.” Fandral nodded again. “You ought to return to the feast and meet a few people.”

“Ah, no… I can’t.” He had to think fast. “You see, I’m not… very good at holding my drink.”

‘Blasphemy!’

“Oh, I see,” Sif replied and nodded her head in understanding.

“I was actually on my way to my chambers, but I seemed to have gotten a bit lost. But I remember where to go, now that my head has cleared somewhat.” There was an awkward few seconds where neither of them spoke. “Well, as I said before, good evening, Lady Sif. Give my regards to the others,” Fandral rambled and started to turn away.

‘Come on, Sif, get lost.’

“What others?”

‘Damn it.’

“Even a new recruit like me has heard about Lady Sif and the Warriors Three.” The look of suspicion gradually faded from her face.

“Oh. Well, we are only the Warriors Two, now.” Fandral’s eyes widened, thinking someone had died. “Our friend, Hogun, has remained on Vanaheim to help his people with repairs after the battle.”

“Oh, I was not aware. I am glad we were victorious.” Sif let out a mirthless laugh.

“Only because Thor took out their giant.”

Fandral watched the shifting emotions on her face. He had seen this look many times, when Sif had tried to prove herself but came up short. He allowed a reassuring smile to grace his features.

“I do not believe Prince Thor alone was responsible for the enemy’s defeat.” She watched him, somewhat startled, as he bowed to her in farewell. “Good night, Lady Sif.”

As Fandral turned and walked down the hall, his face turned into a grimace. He hoped Sif hadn’t just developed a crush on him.

After turning down another hallway, he waited for a few moments to see if Sif or anyone else appeared. He let out a sigh of relief when no one did. In reality, he knew exactly where he was; he was a few turns away from the armory. 

~*~

After Thor left the dungeon, Loki moved to the back of the cell and sat with his knees pulled towards his chest. Hopefully, this far from the barrier, no one would be able to see him if he started crying. 

Loki was sure that he had leveled a good many glares at people who annoyed him or made him angry. He had certainly looked at Thor and the others with disdain after he learned they had been lying to him. But as angry as he was for what they had done, Loki didn’t _hate_ them. The way the other Thor looked at him… he would never wish anyone to be on the receiving end of that.

‘Well, I don’t think this could have worked out any more perfectly if we tried,’ Ymir mused.

‘Speak for yourself.’

‘Oh, believe me, I am.’

‘And what, exactly, about this situation is so damn perfect?’

‘Where shall I begin? Smaug burned your feather to a crisp. You have been separated from your companions. You are trapped in a prison cell, which was formerly occupied by another version of yourself. And the one man who could let you out—your brother or your lover or whatever he is now—will not speak to you. Shall I continue?’

‘I was obviously being rhetorical when I asked that…’

‘Rhetorical questions must have been invented after I was butchered in my sleep by your adoptive father.’ Loki heaved a sigh and thumped his forehead on his knees. ‘Regardless of how serious you were being, it matters not. You won’t find any more feathers.’

‘There is one here. I can feel it above us.’

‘You will never be let out of this prison. Your fate has been decided, as has my victory. It is only a matter of time before you die and I live again.’ 

‘Just stop talking.’

‘You are the one who chooses to respond.’ Loki groaned in annoyance. ‘And I even gave you valuable advice, expecting nothing in return.’

‘Do not act as if you provided that information out of the goodness of your heart. We both know you find enjoyment in watching me fail.’ Ymir chuckled.

‘It seems that we are getting to know each other. But I keep forgetting that you desire to converse with another. It is a shame about his absence.’

‘What did you do to him?’

‘I wish I could take credit for it, but I had no involvement in the disappearance of your _bonded one_.’

‘Then where is he?’

‘You are the one who lost him, and you are the only one who can find him, again.’ Ymir’s voice started to fade. ‘But good luck doing that from in here.’

After another minute of silence went by, Loki knew Ymir was finished speaking. For the moment, at least. Loki leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

“Where did you go? Why did you disappear?”

The last time Loki had heard his voice was in the dream, inside the maze as it was burning. Loki had managed to tap into his Frost Giant blood and create a snow storm which extinguished the flames. After learning about Sleipnir and Thor’s betrayal, Loki was reminded of Laufey and Helblindi and Byleistr, the family that was still waiting for him to come home, and Loki was able to leave the dream and return to the real world. And then nothing.

Was it because Loki was awake that he could not hear him? That couldn’t be the reason, because while most of their encounters occurred while he slept, Loki remembered a couple instances where he heard his voice while he was awake. Back then, Loki had been afraid of him, because he became so angry when Thor kissed him. It was soon after that Loki learned the truth about their bond. And besides, from what Ymir said, it seemed that he really was gone.

Maybe if he tried to go back to that dream, like when he visited Amora, then he might find some kind of clue. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do at the moment. As Loki closed his eyes again and visualized the hedge maze, he hoped that Ymir and the other Loki wouldn’t be there to try and kill him again.

~*~

Volstagg was the first one to arrive. After Thor had sent up the first stream of blue lightning into the sky, the red-haired warrior emerged from the trees about ten minutes later. While Thor knew better than to voice his thoughts out loud, he guessed that Volstagg had been thrown the shortest distance from the Bifrost.

“It is good to see you, Volstagg,” the thunderer said as he clapped a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“You, as well. Have you seen anyone else?” Thor shook his head.

“After I landed, I followed the path I’d made through the trees and found the circle. Since we all seemed to have gone in different directions, I figured that sending up a signal would help you find your way. Are you injured?”

“No, nothing I cannot handle. I get more bumps and bruises from roughhousing with my daughters. Lady Sif had better watch out once they’ve grown.” Thor barked out a laugh.

“Who, exactly, am I to watch out for?” Thor’s mouth clamped shut.

“No one, Lady Sif,” Volstagg said innocently. The shieldmaiden raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Fine, keep your secrets. I will find out eventually.” She then turned towards Thor. “I almost didn’t find you, but even the hard of hearing could track you two down.”

“I should probably send up another signal, just in case the others are further away.”

“So, we are in Asgard,” Sif murmured as Thor fired another bolt of lightning towards the clouds. “This one looks similar to our own, but there are subtle differences.”

“I noticed those, as well. Especially those cannons. I do not remember seeing anything like that at home,” Thor replied. “I just hope no one else sees us. Heimdall will, of course, but I would rather not meet… myself.”

“Hopefully there will be no feather here and we can leave before someone comes looking for us.” 

She replayed in her mind the last few moments in the mountain. She was standing next to Fandral and saw Loki collapse as Smaug’s flames destroyed the feather. Just from watching Loki’s reaction, she could only imagine that he felt the loss of his memory physically. They had come so far and gone through so much to find it, just for it to be snatched away so easily. Despite her personal grudge and the suspicion she felt for Loki, he did not deserve that kind of pain.

“I just hope the others landed safely. I nearly tumbled over a cliff,” Thor said. “The fact that it is nighttime certainly doesn’t help.”

“Did you see which direction any of them went?” Thor shook his head, and Sif could imagine the deep concern on his face. She knew he was worried about Loki, but she feigned an optimistic tone. “Do not worry. They’ll find us.”

While they waited for the other half of their group to arrive, Volstagg began gathering the gold coins in his hands. He turned them over and inspected the markings, but even if he had been able to see in the dark, his knowledge of Dwarven Runes was mediocre, at best.

“Should we take some of this with us? Maybe, if we come across some Dwarves, then we can buy some weapons off of them. These Elvish swords are too flashy for my tastes.”

“You could try to barter with them, but they will probably swindle you even if you do have gold,” Sif replied. “Or they may try to accuse you of stealing money.”

“Well, I have five witnesses who can back me up.”

“If you are willing to carry it all, then have at it,” Thor said. “Should I risk making another signal?”

“I think you should wait a little longer. If someone does come looking for us, then maybe they will have as difficult a time finding us as our friends.”

There was a rustling noise in the forest, and the three Asgardians took a defensive stance with their weapons drawn. They remained completely still and made as little noise as possible. The figure in the woods also seemed to stop moving, because it was eerily silent.

“Thor?” The three breathed sighs of relief and relaxed their stances.

“It is only you, Hogun. You had us worried for a moment,” Thor answered. When Hogun emerged from the woods, he walked with a slight limp. “Have you been wounded?”

“There was a small rockslide, and my leg was pinned. It is nothing serious.” The Vanir sat down in the Bifrost circle and straightened his sore leg. “Who else are we waiting for?”

“Fandral and Loki.”

“I think I saw them flying towards the palace,” Hogun commented.

“Both of them?” Thor asked. Hogun hummed an affirmative. “Well, hopefully they were able to stay together and their presence will remain unnoticed. I am going to send up one more signal.”

~*~

Fandral was almost to the armory when he saw the first stream of lightning through a window. Thor must have found the Bifrost site and was telling the others where to go. He had to move fast before someone else saw the signal and went to investigate. The Heimdall of this world undoubtedly knew of their presence, and it was likely that he’d already alerted somebody of their arrival. But before he could rejoin his friends, Fandral needed to grab a few things and get out of the palace without being seen.

Before he entered the armory, Fandral grabbed a nearby torch from the wall and used it to find his way in the room. He moved deeper, past the swords and shields, to where the more specialized weapons were kept. He grabbed a morning star from a rack and then turned towards the axes. He set the morning star on the floor and used his free hand, which was not holding the torch, to examine the sharpness of the axes. Volstagg’s axe was much more deadly than these, but at least he would be able to use a weapon that felt familiar in his hands. After choosing the sharpest one, he picked up the morning star and moved towards the exit. Fandral wouldn’t be able to leave the palace, weighed down with each of their favored weapons, without drawing attention to himself, so he and Sif would just have to make do with the Elvish swords.

After replacing the torch on the wall and shutting the armory door, Fandral crept through the halls towards the outside courtyard. Once he made it there, he would be able to climb the wall and scale down the mountain. He would have to do a bit of swimming to reach the other cliff, but hopefully he would not be hindered by the weapons and pulled by the current over the falls.

Fandral observed that there were more people roaming the corridors than before. They were mostly guards, so it was obvious that their presence had been noticed. He just hoped that he wouldn’t run into Sif again. It would be difficult to explain why he was now carrying a morning star and an axe that he hadn’t been earlier, as well as why he was not in his chambers recovering from a nonexistent hangover.

While Fandral was inching his way down the mountain, he saw Thor fire off another stream of lightning. The fact that he was able to do so meant that no one had come looking for them, yet. He froze in place when he heard a strange sound. He turned his head slowly towards the noise, and he could see a pair of lights floating in the darkness. It was flying just below his level, and it appeared to be a small ship, with a bright spotlight shining from the bottom and searching the area. If Fandral timed it well, he might be able to jump aboard and take out the other occupants. Judging by the craft’s size, it likely couldn’t hold more than two or three people. As the ship approached, Fandral sucked in a deep breath, and then he kicked away from the mountain.

Fandral lucked out by landing on top of one of the crew members, temporarily knocking them unconscious. He jumped to his feet and shoved someone over the side before they could even turn around. He then faced the last remaining figure, who was focused on steering the ship, and kicked the man’s legs out from underneath him. He took the handle of the axe and struck him across the side of the head, and then, praying he could fly this thing, he took a wide turn in the direction he had seen the lightning. 

It took some experimentation, but he was able to get the ship to gain altitude and stay on course. As he approached the cliff, he heard a groan behind him. The man he’d landed on was waking up. 

“Typical.”

When he flew over the cliff edge, he caught a glimpse of the Bifrost markings in the earth, as well as a few dark shapes standing inside the circle. On the other side of the forest, to the left, there was a small mountain. He turned the ship towards it, and then he grabbed the coiled rope that was laying at his feet. Hopefully the now-awake crew member would be more worried about avoiding the mountain than he would be about Fandral jumping over the side. 

“Who are you?” A voice asked in the darkness.

“I’m one of the good guys. Really.” 

Fandral then grabbed the rope and launched himself over the side of the ship and dropped through a canopy of trees. After bumping his head and breaking a few branches, Fandral landed in a heap on the ground. 

‘I am never doing that again.’

He got up with a pained groan, but at least he didn’t dismember himself with the weapons he stole. Using the tree trunks for support, Fandral stumbled through the forest, listening for the voices of his friends. A few moments later, he could hear Thor and Sif arguing.

“We can’t leave them!”

“Thor, that ship was probably looking for us. If we stay here much longer, they’ll catch us.”

“I don’t care. I’m not leaving them behind.” Sif sighed loudly. “Just… give them a few more minutes. They’ll come.”

“Who are we still waiting for, besides me?”

“Fandral!” 

Fandral came out of the trees and, as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, he was able to make out Volstagg and Hogun. He walked over to where Hogun was getting up from the ground.

“I was able to grab a couple weapons. But I couldn’t get them for all of us.” He turned to Sif, who had come to stand next to him. “We’ll just have to use the Elvish swords, for now.”

“That’s alright,” Sif replied.

“So, are we all here, yet?” 

“No, we’re still waiting for Loki.”

“I had a hold of him when we were thrown from the Bifrost, but we got separated. I think he ended up somewhere in the palace like I did.”

“Hogun mentioned that,” Thor commented. “How did you get out?”

“Well, I ran into some trouble on the way.”

“What sort of trouble?” Sif asked.

“I ran into you. Although she wore her hair down, she looked pretty much the same. But when she saw me, she had no idea who I was.”

“That’s odd.”

“Yeah. Apparently, I look different here.”

“Did you see anyone else?”

“Luckily no. There weren’t very many people roaming the halls because there was a big feast. The other Sif mentioned a battle on Vanaheim and they were celebrating.”

“On Vanaheim?” Hogun asked, sounding concerned.

“Don’t worry, they weren’t fighting against the Vanir. It was some invading army, but she did not mention who they were. All I know is that we won and the Hogun of this world stayed behind to help with repairs.” Hogun sighed in relief. “Did you all see a ship fly over?”

“Yes. We thought it was looking for us,” Sif answered.

“Well, technically it was… but then I threw them off your trail.”

“You were in that ship?” Volstagg asked.

“I was. And just as one of the crew members regained consciousness, I steered it towards a mountain and then abandoned ship. I figured the guy would be a bit distracted, at least for a while.” 

“We are relieved to hear that.”

“Well, after I left the armory, I saw more guards in the halls. I can only assume that someone was alerted to our presence.”

“Damn. We cannot stay here,” Sif hissed.

“We can’t just leave without Loki. He is the only one who can locate the feathers,” Thor argued, nervousness evident in his voice. “I’m going to go look for him.”

“Thor, no. What if he finds us while you’re gone? How will we be able to contact you?”

“I don’t know. But I can’t just stand here and do nothing.” Thor raised Mjolnir over his head, but just before his feet left the ground, there was a rustle in the trees.

“Thor, stop. I’m here.” 

“Loki. Thank the Nine.” Loki stiffened when Thor rushed over and enveloped him in a big hug. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he said, a hint of venom in his voice from being touched.

“How did you escape? Fandral said you were in the palace, like he was.” There was a silent pause. 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

While his method of escape had not gone as he’d expected, Loki was free, and that was all that mattered. After he’d been able to trade places with the younger-looking version of himself, he left the dungeon, still disguised as an injured guard. Rather than heading to the healing rooms, he then blended in with the guards who were conducting a search for the intruders in patrol ships. What he had not expected was someone to drop into his ship from above and throw him over the side.

Just before he landed in the water, he transformed into a salmon and swam to the other side. After walking on land and using a spell to dry his clothes, he followed the riverbank until he found the trail that weaved up the side of the cliff and ended at the edge of the forest. As he moved through the trees, he listened for other voices. 

Before he’d reached the patrol ships, he saw a stream of lightning fired towards the sky on two occasions. Since he had passed Thor in the halls, he knew that there had to be another version of Thor who had come with the Loki that was now in his prison cell. He wasn’t completely certain that the other Loki was his past self, but his appearance was identical to the way he looked when Thor was banished to Earth and when he learned about his Jotun heritage.

Loki focused on changing his clothing, hair, and facial features, and a moment later, he heard Thor yelling. When Thor returned from Earth, his voice had taken on a tone of maturity and reserve. The voice he heard through the trees sounded like the reckless halfwit Loki knew before he’d met that mortal woman, Jane Foster. Before he revealed himself, he waited and listened to what the oaf was saying.

Thor was refusing to leave without Loki, and he heard something about a feather, and that Loki was the only one who could find them. Whatever this feather was, it must have been the reason they were here. Perhaps, if this feather could not be found, they would be able to leave sooner. When Sif started arguing with him, Loki stopped listening and decided to make his presence known before Thor took off. 

“Can you sense a feather here?” Sif asked before Thor could say anything else. She sounded more concerned with this than with questioning his methods of escape. 

“No.” Loki listened as the others seemed relieved to hear that.

“Then that means we can go,” Thor said. “Hogun, are you fit to travel?”

“I’ll be alright.”

“Good. Is everyone in the circle?” There were a few hums of affirmation. “Heimdall, we are ready to travel to the next world.”

Up until that point, it had been too dark to distinguish facial expressions. But when the light of the Bifrost descended upon them, Loki had to keep his expression neutral. Inwardly, he was smirking deviously. He was finally free.

~*~

Loki had been inside the maze for quite some time, but he found nothing. The maze was not changing on its own, no one appeared to him, and he encountered no threats. This was not actually a dream, but a visualization of one, since Loki was still awake. While he was glad not to be fighting for survival, he was disappointed that his time there had been otherwise uneventful. 

‘Well, well, so he did return, after all,’ Ymir said.

Loki opened his eyes and listened for proof that he had come back. After a few seconds, he did hear a noise, but it was not the voice he missed. He lowered his gaze from the ceiling when he heard footsteps on the other side of the barrier. As soon as he met the other man’s blue eyes, he turned his head in order to avoid them.

“Just answer me one thing. Did you have something to do with redirecting the Bifrost?” 

“That Bifrost was from _my_ world, not yours. It was how I came here,” Loki answered flatly. Two could play at this unemotional game. “I already told you, I am not the Loki you know.”

“There is only one Bifrost. So how about, instead of wasting both my time and yours, you just tell me what you’re planning. And for Odin’s sake, just turn back into yourself. It makes me sick to look at you.” 

Thor looked towards the entrance of the dungeon. Loki remained silent as a guard approached and bowed.

“Your Highness, Heimdall asked me to deliver a message. The other Bifrost has departed.”

“And there were no intruders found?”

“No. None that I am aware of.”

“Alright. Thank you for your report. Let me know if you find out anything else.”

“What was that you were saying about there being only one Bifrost?” Loki asked when the guard left. Thor glared at him like he had before, and then he turned to leave. “That guard I allegedly attacked… whatever happened to him?”

Thor stopped walking and breathed harshly through his nose. When he turned around to retort, he saw that Loki was standing near the barrier with his arms crossed.

“He is probably with the healers.”

“Is he? Because I am one hundred percent sure that you will never find him. In fact, none of your guards will remember ever having seen him before.” Thor just stood there, stubbornly refusing to fall for his lies. “That guard was the Loki you know in disguise, and if what Heimdall said about the Bifrost’s departure is true, then he likely assumed my appearance and left with my companions.”

“Where did they go?” Loki shrugged.

“Heimdall has no control over which realm he sends us to. They could be anywhere.” 

“Why would Heimdall not be in control of your destination?”

“How much time have you got? It’s a pretty long story,” Loki said with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where Loki turns into a salmon is based on Norse Mythology. After Balder's death, Loki disguised himself as a salmon in order to escape from the gods. He was eventually found, by Thor I think, and then he was bound in the cave with the venomous snake until Ragnarok.


	7. Asgard - You Can't Handle The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it became a trend in 2020 to just not comment on fanfics, but don't do the thing. PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK. It literally takes like 5 seconds to say "This is good" or "This is crap." I spend hours working on these chapters, over a span of several days. I'd at least like to know if all of this effort is worth it.

“How much time have you got? It’s a pretty long story.”

Loki was leaning against the square stone column and having a staring contest with the man on the other side of the barrier. Despite the smirk on his face, Loki was shaking like a leaf, and he hoped the stone column would disguise some of his fear. He had seen the Thor he knew in battle and had an idea of how strong he was. This version of Thor was older, angrier, and much more powerful. He could probably snap Loki’s neck in two between his thumb and forefinger if he wanted to.

“And why should I listen to anything you have to say?”

“Because the Loki that was originally locked up in here, for whatever reason, is out there somewhere in the universe with my friends. He clearly did something to warrant a prison sentence, and I seriously doubt you’re the kind of person to sit back and do nothing while he is capable of hurting more people.” Loki heaved a sigh and allowed his tense body to relax a bit. “And because, if I do not find the item I came here for… if I am not released from this cell, I will die in here.”

“Well, our father’s plan was for you to be imprisoned and to never be released.” Thor watched him closely for a minute, but Loki’s only reaction was to rub his arm to hide his discomfort. “Alright, I will hear what you have to say. But make it quick, for the hour is late.”

“I will give you the short version, then. In my time, I lost my memories. Heimdall has been transporting us to different realms in order to find them.”

“You speak as if your memories are physical objects.”

“That is because they are. They look like blue feathers, and they cause harmful phenomena to the realm until they are returned to my body. I am the only one who can sense their presence.”

“Who were you traveling with? And what did you mean when you said Heimdall had no control over where he sent you?”

“I was traveling with Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. As far as your other question, I do not know all of the details, because I was unconscious when we first left Asgard. It may be because the feathers were scattered across multiple parallel universes, so if Heimdall only sent us to the Nine Realms within our own timeline, we would not have found very many of them.”

“How many have you found?” Loki began counting his fingers and muttering to himself.

“Ten.”

“How long have you been searching?”

“I am not entirely sure. The passage of time changes from realm to realm. My companions and I left Asgard… probably no more than a week ago. But in some of the realms we visited, it was much longer.” Loki wasn’t sure when the change had occurred, but he felt more and more comfortable. It was certainly different from talking with his Thor, but he no longer felt nervous around this man. “One example was early in our travels, when we befriended a group of humans on Midgard. We visited several other realms before we were reunited with them. What seemed like three or four days for us was an entire year for the Midgardians.”

“What realms have you visited?” The way he asked more questions rather than responding to Loki’s answers made it hard to gauge whether or not Thor believed him.

“Let me see… we have been to Vanaheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, Jotunheim, and Muspellheim once each. We have been to Asgard twice and Midgard at least three times, possibly more. There were a few places we visited that may have been Midgard, but we were not completely sure. And then the last realm we were in before we came here seemed to exist outside of the Nine Realms.

“I am not actually sure what the name of the realm was, but there were several places mentioned, like Mirkwood, Lake-Town, Rohan and Gondor. This realm was strange, because Elves, humans, and Dwarves lived in close proximity to each other. They coexisted, in a sense, but they definitely did not get along. Also, there was a talking dragon.”

“That is a fascinating story. You have quite the imagination.” Loki let out a huff of frustration.

“You can’t give credit to my imagination when every word was the truth. What can I say or do to prove that I am not lying?”

“There is nothing. Now, if you would excuse me, it has been a long day and I am rather tired.” Loki started to internally panic when Thor turned to leave.

“Wait! Perhaps this will convince you.”

Thor glanced over his shoulder to see what exactly the other man was planning, and he suddenly felt as if he had been hypnotized. He did not know when he moved, but he had fully turned to face Loki and took a few steps closer to the cell. It was not until after Loki fell from the Bifrost, and was assumed dead, that his father told him the story of how he found Loki as a baby in a temple on Jotunheim. Never would he have imagined that he’d actually get to see his brother’s true form, and certainly not voluntarily, on Loki’s part.

“The Loki you know is ashamed of his Frost Giant heritage, right? Well, I embrace it.” 

Loki’s skin was still changing when he spoke, and the very last part of the transformation featured his eyes turning bright red. Thor could not seem to find his voice, nor could he look away. Gazing upon Loki’s Jotun form for the first time, he had never expected it to be so… 

“I believe you.”

“You do? Just like that?” Loki raised his eyebrows, and his Asgardian appearance was already beginning to return. “I should have just done this at the beginning.”

“Actually… I knew you spoke the truth before you began your tale.”

“Oh? And why was that?”

“Because you did not correct me when I referred to Odin as ‘our father.’” Loki simply watched him silently. “What did you mean when you said you would die if your feathers were not found?”

“Exactly as I said.”

“But people who have amnesia, although they gradually regain their memories, do not die from it.” 

“That is different. My memory loss was not caused by a head injury. It was caused by a very old kind of magic.” He rubbed a hand through his hair and tried to think of a simple way to explain this. “Like I said before, I was unconscious for some time after I lost my memories, so I do not fully understand everything. What I do know is that the feathers are more than just memories. They are my magic, my mind, soul, heart, and everything that makes me whole. If I do not return the feathers to my body, I will die. And then…”

“Then?”

“I have already taken up too much of your time.” 

“Very well. Unfortunately, I cannot let you out of this cell, yet. It would be far too suspicious. I will speak with my father in the morning. Maybe he will know of a way to locate your friends. But you will have to sleep in here, tonight.”

“That’s alright,” Loki replied with a shrug. “I’m actually not tired, so I think I’ll just read my books.”

Just as he had been during Loki’s transformation, Thor again found himself frozen in place. While Loki sat on the futon and looked carefully over the three books he pulled out of his bag, Thor suddenly felt warmth settle in his chest. He had not experienced this sense of peace and calm in a very long time. Not since happier times. Before he realized he was doing it, Thor’s lips were curving into a smile; a real smile that was not forced.

During his inspection of the books his mythological counterpart had compiled, Loki had a hard time choosing which one to start with. There did not appear to be any sort of order or chronology, so he had no idea what information he should learn first. The three books were all fairly large in size and equal in thickness. Loki would just have to take a leap of faith.

After selecting a book and replacing the others in his bag, Loki opened it to the first page and began scanning the text for valuable information. A few pages in, Loki felt a chill trickling down his spine, and he sensed that someone was watching him. He had experienced something like this before, during his first night in Jotunheim. With slight apprehension, Loki slowly turned his head towards the barrier.

Thor had not moved from his spot, and he appeared to be deep in thought. Although his eyes were not focused on anything in particular, Loki could still feel his gaze. The smile on his face was almost infectious.

“Is everything alright?” Loki asked hesitantly.

“Yes, my apologies. I was just thinking.” Thor seemed to have forgotten where he was. He cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to leave. “I should let you get back to your reading.”

“Good night, Thor.” 

Thor’s back was to him, so Loki could not see the grin on his face. But he did notice how the man’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed.

“Good night, Loki.”

After Thor left the dungeon, he climbed several flights of stairs until he reached the royal wing. Once he was inside his chambers, he removed his cloak and placed it on the back of a chair. Because of the echo his footsteps created in the halls, he was not aware of it right away. But alone inside his quiet room, his shallow breathing was much more noticeable. As he sat down on the edge of his bed, Thor pressed a firm hand to his chest.

‘Why is my heart beating so fast?’

~*~

Loki continued reading where he’d stopped as soon as Thor left. He breathed out a sigh, and he felt much lighter. In the few hours he’d been in that prison cell, so much had already changed. Thor went from essentially hating his guts to smiling fondly at him, and Loki had gone from being petrified with fear to feeling at ease. He just hoped that Odin could be persuaded and that he would be let out. He also hoped he would be able to get the feather that was above him before it caused irreparable damage.

For the next hour or so, Loki was struggling against an inconvenient headache. It wasn’t Ymir’s doing. Rather, the pounding in his head was caused by the reading material. Perhaps before his memory loss this stuff would have made sense to him, but in his current state, everything went over his head. Maybe he should have taken the other Loki up on his offer to teach him magic.

Loki rubbed at his eyes and shook the fog from his mind. He turned the page, and he stopped about halfway down when he came across something rather interesting. It was called "Soul Energy Solidification," and just as the name suggested, it was the ability to condense soul energy into a tangible form and give it solid-like properties. He thought back to what his father said about the powerful class of sorcerers whose magic assumed the form of wings. He wondered if these sorcerers were actually performing Soul Energy Solidification. Loki folded the corner of the page so he could refer back to it later.

Because the book was not evenly balanced on his lap, it tumbled to the floor when he pressed on the corner. Loki picked it up and brushed off any dirt there may have been, although the cell looked fairly clean. Loki was glad that he’d marked his spot, because the book opened to a different page when he dropped it. He placed the book on his knees again and was about to flip back to where he’d left off when his eyes fell upon two words: Mind Stone. His conversation with the Loki he fought in the maze replayed in his mind.

_“You were created from my memories of a movie character. The only magic you have is what I saw in Tom’s first movie.”_

_“Don’t you find it strange that, even though you have not seen any of the Avengers film, I somehow know how to use the Mind Stone in this scepter?”_

The fact that his book just happened to open to this page was a strange… coincidence. His eyes moved to the top of the page, and his breathing quickened as he continued to read.

‘The Soul Stone, which grants the user ability to manipulate one’s own soul, as well as the souls of others, is considered to be the most powerful and most dangerous of the Infinity Stones. Of the six, the Soul Stone is the only one that requires a sacrifice in order to be used. It is also the only Infinity Stone that houses a separate dimension, a paradise known as the Soul World, where the souls of those sacrificed, as well as souls the Stone itself has consumed, reside. 

‘While each Infinity Stone is powerful on its own, using multiple Stones together increases their strength and effects. Possession of the Soul Stone allows the user better control of the Mind Stone, which increases one’s mental and psychic abilities. The Soul Stone’s power is increased if the user also possesses the Reality Stone, which grants the ability to alter reality as one wishes, as well as to break previously established laws of reality, physics, and logic.’

Loki could feel sweat dripping down his forehead, but he did not want to stop reading. He folded the corner of this page before he continued.

‘Depending on the strength of the individual, one can use the Soul Stone to acquire the skill of Soul Anchoring, which makes one’s soul immune to any soul-based power, including manipulation, absorption, destruction, or alteration.’

Loki leaned backwards slightly and stared at the flickering barrier in front of him. His pulse was loud in his ears.

‘So, if that Loki already knew how to use the Mind Stone, and he was put inside the dream by Ymir, then that means…’

“Ymir knows about the Infinity Stones,” he finished aloud. 

Loki suddenly felt excruciating pain pulsing throughout his entire body. The book once again tumbled from his lap, and he, too, fell to the floor. Although he was writhing in agony, at the same time, he could not move.

‘You did not yet discover this in your reading, so I will enlighten you,’ Ymir said. His voice had a strange echo, which only increased the pain in Loki’s head. ‘This is a power known as “Soul Mutilation.” Not only can I inflict severe, not to mention _permanent_ , damage to your soul, but to your body, as well.’

‘So, this was your plan all along. To find and use the Infinity Stones.’ Loki could not form words with his lips, but even voicing his thoughts in his mind was a struggle.

‘I cannot yet take control of your body, but I can still cause you _pain_.’ Loki’s vision blurred as Ymir tightened his grip. ‘You are still strong enough to resist complete possession, but I have just caused your already weakened body to become even more fragile. You would be wise to stop digging, unless you want to be buried.’

Loki felt himself falling into an abyss with nothing to hold onto. As he succumbed to the darkness, a name he did not remember fell from his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing the part where Thor was smiling at Loki, I was imagining the scene in Battle of the Five Armies where Bilbo shows Thorin the acorn and, just for a moment, the gold-sickness and obsession with finding the Arkenstone disappears, and Thorin just smiles so warmly at him. Ugh, Thilbo Bagginshield should have been canon, damn it. 
> 
> Also, the "Soul Energy Solidification," "Soul Anchoring," "Soul Mutilation" and other soul powers which will be mentioned in later chapters are literally from the Fandom superpowers wiki ( https://powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Soul_Powers ). I'm not creative enough to make this stuff up, although I did come up with the idea of the sorcerers channeling their magic to form wings before I knew Soul Energy Solidification was a thing.
> 
> So... that Easter Egg I mentioned at the end of part 1? That was it. Did anyone figure it out?


	8. Asgard - For The Greater Good

Thor had originally intended to speak to his father first thing the following morning, but things did not work out that way. First, he woke up later than he’d wanted to because his slumber was plagued with guilt for leaving Loki in that prison cell. Second, he was overcome by an uncontrollable urge to see Loki again. It was as if his legs were moving on their own, and before he realized it, he was entering the dungeon.

So much had changed in such a short time. The anger Thor felt when he first laid eyes on Loki had been snuffed out within just a few hours and replaced with something akin to anticipation. However, the first thing Thor felt when he approached the cell and saw Loki was fear.

“Loki?” Thor stepped up until he was almost touching the barrier. Loki was laying on the floor of the cell, his body twisted in a way so that he was partially on his back and partially on his side. A book was open face-up a couple feet away. Thor tried calling his name again, but there was still no response. He wasn’t sure if it was a trick caused by the flickering barrier, but it almost looked like Loki wasn’t breathing. “Loki!”

“Prince Thor, is everything alright?” One of the guards asked as he came over.

“How long has he been like this?”

“I would assume all night.” Thor rounded on the guard, and anger began to bubble underneath the surface.

“And you just left him like that? Why did none of you report to me?” Thor gripped the only part of the man’s uniform that he could, which was the top of his cape where it was clasped at his right shoulder.

“We thought he was trying to trick us. We thought it was an illusion.”

“The fact that he has not moved in over eight hours should have tipped you off,” he snarled and shoved the guard away.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn’t know,” the guard said helplessly as he watched Thor press his hand to the panel and turn off the barrier. “He tricked us before and injured one of our own…”

“Just stop talking,” Thor said as he entered the cell and knelt down beside Loki. He turned him over onto his back, but there was no response. “Loki, wake up.”

Loki still did not stir, even after Thor shook him by the shoulder. Thor felt his forehead, which was almost ice-cold. After pressing two fingers to his neck, Thor found that his heart rate seemed slower than normal. Thor removed his cloak and wrapped it around Loki’s limp form. He lifted Loki into his arms and was about to leave the cell when he noticed the book on the floor. Leaning against the futon was an elegant silver bag, which contained two more books, clothes, and possibly more items. Thor’s gaze turned to the guard, who was still lingering outside.

“Grab Loki’s book here and his bag and follow me to the Healing Rooms.” The guard looked hesitant to leave his post, but he also knew he would receive an even harsher punishment for defying the prince’s orders.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As they weaved through the halls of Asgard, Thor tried his best to keep his temper under control. Causing a thunderstorm would attract too many curious glances and too many questions, and he also did not want to harm Loki by accident while he carried him. However, his anger was outweighed by concern. Even through the cloak, Loki’s garments, and his own armor, Thor could still feel the coolness of his flesh. He just hoped that the Healers would be able to do something about whatever was causing this.

Because he was so distracted by his thoughts, Thor did not immediately realize that he had arrived at the Healing Rooms. About half of the beds within the main patient area were occupied by soldiers who had received severe injuries during the battle of Vanaheim, but Thor continued further until he reached the private rooms reserved for higher ranking and upper-class Asgardians. He and the guard entered the largest room, and a moment later they were joined by several Healers.

“You can set him here, Your Highness,” one of the Healers said when Thor seemed to be frozen in place near the bed.

For some reason, Thor didn’t want to let Loki go. He wanted to keep holding him close. But he knew that the Healers would not be able to help if he did. Thor slowly stepped towards the bed, and after he set Loki down, he moved to stand against a back wall and give the Healers room to work. The fog that had settled in his mind suddenly dissipated. 

“Where would you like these, Your Highness?” The guard asked as he held up Loki’s bag and the book that had been on the floor. Thor sucked in a deep breath and held out his arm.

“I’ll take them. You may return to your post.”

The guard bowed and left the room. Thor cradled the bag in the crook of his arm. He opened the flap and was about to reach inside when he stilled his hand. When he was younger, Thor would never have hesitated to look through Loki’s belongings, but now he knew better. It was none of his business what Loki carried with him. Thor set the bag down on the floor beside him, and then he started to flip through the book.

The outside covers had no indication of the subject matter, and the first few paragraphs he read made no sense to him. He noticed two places where the pages had been folded at the corner, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at that. The Loki he knew would never do something so “barbaric” to a book. He opened to the first marked page, but he was still confused. All he was able to gather, from what he had read so far, was that the book talked a lot about souls. He flipped through the book until he found the other marked page, but before he could begin to read it, he heard someone clear their throat. Thor glanced up and saw one of the Healers standing a few feet away. The expression on her face showed no promise.

“How is he?” She almost seemed afraid to answer him. “What is wrong?” 

“Follow me, please.”

Thor walked beside the woman, and as he got closer to the bed, the uneasiness in his stomach grew. The Healers formed a circle around the bed and created some kind of glowing orange mist that surrounded Loki’s body. Thor’s cloak had been set aside. He was worried that Loki would be cold, and he had to stop himself from reaching out and touching him.

“Your Highness?” Thor turned his gaze toward the Healer, who wore an expression that told him she had been trying to get his attention for a while.

“Yes?”

“I asked if you could tell me what has caused his condition.”

“What condition?” Now she looked as surprised as he did.

“He… how do I explain this? There are… pieces missing. Many pieces. And what is there…”

“Just tell me.”

“It is almost as if someone took a knife and sliced it into ribbons.”

“Sliced what? What is this ‘it’ you speak of?”

“His soul.” Thor’s heart started racing, but if felt different from the night before. “There is something else.”

“What?”

“We felt another presence; an extremely powerful and incredibly dangerous one. It would not allow us to get very close.”

“Can you help him? Can you heal him?”

“Our magic heals physical ailments and wounds inflicted on the body, not the soul. Even if we had the capability, there is barely anything to heal.”

“No… no, there must be something. Please, you have to save him!” The Healer appeared to be moved by the emotion in his voice, but a moment later, her eyes widened and she bowed her head.

“All-Father.”

“Leave us,” Odin commanded. The orange mist disappeared and the Healers bowed before they swept out of the room. “When I received word that you had let Loki out of his cell, I refused to believe it.”

“Father, I intended to speak with you sooner, but—”

“But instead, you reverted back to your old ways. You acted without thinking or consulting me! Loki was not a threat, as long as he was in that prison cell. And now you have—”

“This is not the same Loki who attacked New York.” Odin shook his head, not wanting to listen. “Look at him, Father!”

“This is the very reason why I did not want Frigga to go anywhere near the dungeons. I thought that you would be strong enough to resist his deception, but I guess I was wrong. He still managed to sway you.”

“Father. If you ever loved Loki at all… look at him. But if I am mistaken, then leave. I will not stop you.”

Thor knew he had him, because if he walked away, then Odin would be admitting that he never loved Loki as a son. The All-Father’s lips curled into a sneer, and he stiffly approached the bedside.

“Alright. I will appease you. But when I dispel his illusion, do not blame me for your foolishness.” Odin raised a hand to do just that, but he froze suddenly with his hand hovering near Loki’s feet. “Who is this person?”

‘Now, who is the fool?’ Thor thought bitterly.

“This is Loki, but he is not the one you locked in the dungeon. He comes from a different time.” Odin rounded on him.

“Then where is the other Loki?”

“Gone. He was able to trade places with this Loki in order to escape.”

“And why have you not gone after him?” Odin snarled.

“We have no way of knowing where he went. This Loki used another Bifrost, separate from our own, to come here. It is likely that the other Loki used this Bifrost to escape from Asgard. And because it is controlled by a different Heimdall, our Gatekeeper cannot track his movements. I thought that, with your power and knowledge of Yggdrasil, that you might know of a way to find out where he came from.”

“What all do you know? Has he said anything?”

“He told me that he has lost his memories due to an accident involving an ancient form of magic. He, along with Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three of his time, have been using the Bifrost to travel to different realms and parallel universes and search for his memories. He said his memories look like blue feathers and that they cause unnatural and destructive phenomena. He believes there is one here.”

“How does he know this?”

“He can sense them. He is the only one who can.”

“Well, that is rather convenient, is it not?”

“Father… he turned into his Jotun form. He showed it to me willingly. Despite what you may think, this Loki does not carry the hatred for the Frost Giants that the other one does. He does not remember how to perform magic, and he…”

“What?”

“Because he does not seem to feel anger about his true parentage, or the fact that his origins were kept from him, I do not believe he means to seek revenge against us. He is not a threat.”

“I will be the judge of that.”

“I hope your judgment will not be clouded by your prejudice.” Thor didn’t realize he had spoken aloud until it was too late.

“It appears Loki has had more influence on you than I had originally thought. I sincerely hope this… _attitude_ of yours… is only temporary.” Odin continued to move his hand towards Loki’s forehead, but as soon as he laid his palm on his icy flesh, he snatched his hand back with a hiss. “That’s… not possible.”

“What is it?”

“I sense the presence of someone I killed a long time ago.”

“The Healers mentioned they felt another presence inside him, but that they could not get close to it. Who is it?”

“Ymir.” Thor’s mouth fell open. “So, he managed to survive.”

“But how? Ymir’s body was destroyed.”

“If I knew how, I would hardly be as shocked as I am at the moment,” Odin snapped. “Somehow, Ymir’s mind and soul endured, and he is using Loki as a vessel.”

“Can you get him out?”

“With our combined strength, my brothers, Vili and Ve, and I were only able to defeat Ymir because we attacked him as he slept. I was much younger, then.”

“Why did you kill Ymir?” Thor kept his expression neutral when Odin leveled his one-eyed glare on him.

“None of that matters now. It happened a long time ago. That is all you need to know.” Thor was about to retort, but Odin brushed him off and briskly made his way towards the door. “Take him back to the dungeons. Do not let him out.”

“Father, he is unwell. He needs to be healed or he will die.”

“Let him die, then!” Thor shook his head in disbelief.

“You don’t mean that. The father I know, the one I have always looked up to, would never wish for the death of an innocent man.”

“Innocent!” Odin rounded on him, and there was a strange look in his eye that Thor had never seen before. “Loki is anything but innocent. Not only because he is the vessel of the most dangerous entity I have ever encountered, but also because of the crimes he, himself, has not yet committed.”

“Although he may look it, this is not a past version of the Loki we know. They are two different people. This man has done nothing wrong!”

“I will hear no more of this! He dies tomorrow. His sacrifice will save many lives. Now, do as I said and move him to the dungeon, or I will give the task to someone else.”

Whatever reply Thor had was drowned out by the door slamming shut and the echo that followed. For a moment, it felt as if the walls were closing in around him. Why would his father do this? _How_ could he? Thor grabbed his cloak and placed it over Loki’s body, and then he sat on the edge of the bed and stroked a hand through his dark hair.

“Loki, wake up.” Thor continued to closely watch Loki’s face for any signs of wakefulness, but there were none. “Please, open your eyes.”

When nothing else happened, Thor removed his hand and grabbed a chair from against the wall. He positioned the chair next to the bed and had it turned so that he had a clear view of the door. Thor had no intention of carrying out his father’s orders, nor would he allow anyone else to. After he sat back down, he opened the book to the other marked page.

As his eyes moved across the page, and he realized what the subject was, a feeling of dread settled in his stomach. Why was Loki reading about the Infinity Stones? Was the story about his memory loss even true? Had it all just been an act? Loki had said that his feather was above him. A couple levels above the dungeon was the Weapons Vault, where the Tesseract was being kept. Thor didn’t want to believe it, but what if his father had been right? Was Loki just here for the Tesseract? He just hoped that Loki would wake up soon so that he could get some answers.

For several minutes, Thor continued to stare at the book in his lap without reading it. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that the sound of the door opening startled him.

“Thank the Nine you’re still here,” Sif said as she strode into the room, followed closely by Fandral and Volstagg. “We came as soon as we heard.”

“Heard what?”

“Heimdall just told us that the All-Father has barred anyone from using the Bifrost. No one is allowed in or out of Asgard.”

“I was afraid this would happen.”

“Why has he done this? Does the All-Father believe Asgard is in danger?” It was then that she noticed the figure on the bed. She stared at him for a few moments before she returned her gaze to Thor’s face. “Besides the fact that he has been let out of his cell, why does Loki look so…?”

“Different?” Thor finished, earning a nod from Sif. “I will tell you all what I told my father.”

~*~

Loki thought he was drowning. It was so dark and cold—even for someone like him. The very air he breathed was like shards of ice. And terrible pain pulsed through his entire body with every beat of his heart.

‘Someone, help me. I don’t want to hurt anymore. I just want to sleep. I’m so tired…’

Several more minutes passed with no end to the pain in sight. And then a golden light appeared in the darkness. He felt soothing warmth, beginning at the crown of his head, which slowly spread to the rest of his body. The light grew brighter and seemed to be embracing him. The silence was broken by a voice that Loki hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime. Even though they were spoken in the All-Tongue, for some reason, Loki’s mind was unable to discern the words. However, he did know for certain that the voice was the same one he had heard in his dreams.

‘You came back.’ There was no reply, and a moment later, the light vanished and the cold started to creep back into his bones. ‘Wait! Don’t leave me!’

As the cold and darkness settled in around him again, Loki’s mind was filled with thoughts of a similar kind. He wanted to sleep, and perhaps then, and only then, would the pain go away. What other choice did he have? He could not even see his hand in front of his eyes, let alone a way out of this dark place, wherever it was. There was no chance of escape. It was only a matter of time until—

‘What am I doing? I can’t give up, now! I cannot let Ymir win!’

Although the circumstances, as well as the surroundings, were different, Loki had been in a similar situation before. Inside the maze, with flames inching closer and closer, and no clear exit. He was able to return to the real world by thinking about his family and his homeland. Maybe it would work again this time. He had to at least try, since he would get nowhere by doing nothing. 

After a few seconds, Loki could make his fingers twitch. There was a blanket of some sort covering his body from his shoulders down. He heard voices, but his mind wasn’t awake enough to understand their words. He recognized Thor’s voice immediately, and then a woman’s voice, which he assumed belonged to Sif. Then he heard a man’s voice that was unfamiliar, but when he tried to open his eyes and see who was speaking, he found that they were still too heavy. At least it was becoming easier to understand their words.

“Thor, look,” the strange man said.

Loki remained still as the blanket was pulled down past his hands. He didn’t need his eyes to know what it was the others saw, because he could feel the temperature change. He had turned into his Jotun form as he slept again, and his skin was returning to its Asgardian color.

“Is that… his Jotun form?” Sif asked.

“Yes,” Thor answered as he pulled his cloak up over Loki’s shoulders again.

“Had you ever seen it before?”

“He showed it to me last night. He said he can assume that form at will, and that he is not ashamed of it.”

“Hopefully he will not do that too often. I have already been burned once by a Frost Giant, and I would prefer not to go through that again.” Loki recognized Volstagg’s voice, and he remembered how a Frost Giant had burned his arm in Tom’s movie.

“Well, Volstagg, you won’t have anything to worry about if you do not give him a reason to,” Thor said jokingly. Then his tone turned serious. “I have seen it, and you all can clearly see that he is not the same Loki we know. But my father refuses to see reason, and he wants to execute a man who has committed no crime.”

Loki suddenly found that his eyelids were no longer heavy, and that he was strong enough to form words. But that was all he could do.

“He what?” His voice was slightly cracked, but everyone was able to understand him.

“How long have you been listening to us?” Sif snapped.

“Since you noticed my transformation. My body was still too weak to move, until just now.” Loki then shifted his gaze from the shieldmaiden to Thor. “Why does Odin want me dead?”

“First, you must answer this. Why were you reading about the Infinity Stones?” Thor asked as he held up the book Loki had been reading. Loki averted his gaze, and he tried to sink further into the mattress. “Answer me.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Loki’s breaths were coming out in shallow gasps, and he thought he might pass out. “He’ll hurt me again.”

“Who? Ymir?” 

“How do you know…?”

“My father was here, and he sensed Ymir’s presence inside your mind.” Thor waited for Loki to respond, but he just kept trembling. “Is that what you were going to tell me last night? After you said you would die if your memories were not found?”

“Yes.” Loki swallowed the bile in his throat and sucked in a deep breath. “As for why I was reading about the Infinity Stones, my book fell from my lap and it landed on that page.”

“Well, isn’t that a fine coincidence?” Sif said sarcastically.

“There are no coincidences in this world,” Loki blurted out before he could stop himself. He had no idea where those words had come from, but they almost seemed like an automatic response. “I was going to turn it back to the page I had originally marked, about Soul Energy Solidification, but then I saw the words ‘Mind Stone.’ I had heard those words in a dream, and I thought maybe I could find out what the Mind Stone was.”

“What dream? Who told you?” Thor asked.

“It was another Loki, actually. He wielded a curved scepter with a blue stone. He called it the Mind Stone and then he attacked me with it.”

“Didn’t Loki have the Mind Stone when he tried to conquer Midgard?” Sif whispered in Thor’s ear. Thor nodded. 

“Well, I don’t believe that your book just _happened_ to land on that page,” the blond stranger said. He snatched the book from Thor’s grip and dropped it on the floor, and then he picked it up. “Let’s see what it says. Hmm… something about ‘Soul Mutilation.’ Whatever that is.”

As the man kept reading, Loki clapped his hands over his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed hard against his head to block out his voice. His breathing had sped up again.

“Fandral, stop!” Thor ordered.

“What? Oh…”

Thor wrapped his hands around Loki’s wrists and gently tugged on them. Heat started to form where their skin touched, but Loki figured that was because Thor’s body temperature was a lot warmer than his own. When the tugging did not let up, Loki took a chance and peeked his eyes open. Thor’s expression was that of concern, while the others appeared to be dumbfounded. Thor had been speaking to him, and Loki slowly moved his hands away from his ears.

“Fandral stopped reading. Are you alright?” Thor hesitated in letting go of Loki’s wrists, but he finally did before it became awkward.

“I’ll be okay.” Loki’s brow furrowed when Thor’s words registered. “What did you call him?”

“Oh come, now. I know you have memory loss, but surely you could not forget me,” the stranger boasted.

“I have never seen you before in my life.” His eyes flicked to his book, which still appeared to be open to that page. “Also, would you mind folding the corner of that page so that I will not accidentally open to it in the future?”

“Loki, that’s Fandral,” Thor said in a tone used by adults who try to explain simple things to children.

“I’m sorry, Thor, but the Fandral I know does not look like that. His beard is thicker, his mustache kind of curls at the ends, and his hair does this weird flippy thing on the right side.” Sif’s eyes widened.

“Wait, I saw him!” The others looked at her. “I saw someone last night who matches that description. He was wandering the halls during the feast. He said his name was… Josh, or something.”

“That was Fandral. We each have other names we use when we have to keep our identities secret.”

“Well, do any of the rest of us look different?” Loki shook his head. 

“The only one I don’t know about is Hogun, since he did not come here with you.”

“Loki… I do not mean to pry, but… what just happened?” Thor asked cautiously. “Why did you react like that?”

“I did not need Fandral to read the description. I already know what… Soul Mutilation is.”

“Is that what Ymir did to you?” Loki gave a shaky nod. Thor wasn't sure how he came to the conclusion that Ymir was responsible, because he didn't know what sorts of people Loki had encountered before he came here. But after the conversation he'd had with his father, it seemed the ancient Jotun was fresh on his mind. “Why?”

“I’m afraid he’ll do it again if I say too much. I may not be able to recover from it a second time.”

“Does it have anything to do with the Infinity Stones?” Loki shook his head.

“I can’t tell you. He can hear us… he’ll know.”

“Then what _can_ you tell us?”

“I have to find my memories, because if I don’t, I will die and Ymir will be resurrected. There is a feather here in the castle. I cannot leave Asgard until I have it in my possession.”

“You won’t be able to leave, anyway,” Volstagg commented. “The All-Father has prohibited anyone from entering or leaving Asgard using the Bifrost.”

“For what reason?” Loki asked, looking over at Thor.

“To prevent you from leaving, and anyone from helping you leave,” Thor answered. “I tried to persuade him, but he would not listen. My father is convinced that executing you will also kill the Loki of this time.”

“But I’m not a past version of him. Not directly, at least. My death would have no effect on the other Loki.”

“I know. But my father also wants to prevent Ymir from causing any destruction.”

“Oh… well, finding the rest of my memories would prevent that from happening. It’s just going to take a long time, since I have found so few.” He turned his gaze to Fandral. “Can I have my book back?”

“Yeah, sorry. And I marked the page like you asked.”

“Thank you.” Loki closed the book and set it in his lap, running a hand over the front cover. “I’m trying to find a way to get Ymir out of me.”

“And have you found anything?” Thor asked.

“No. It’s all really confusing. I think if I still remembered how to do magic, then I might understand more of this. But right now, it’s just giving me a headache.”

The door slammed open and Thor’s hand immediately moved to Mjolnir. The others reached for their weapons, as well, but they all visibly relaxed when they realized who the newcomer was. Loki had seen her once before, in one of his memories. He had been only a child, but she had not aged at all. While she had been pleased to see his doppelganger magic and to receive the drawing he’d made, now, her eyes were filled with fury. Thor’s voice seemed to break the spell that Loki had been trapped under.

“Mother…”


	9. Asgard - Mother Knows Best

“Mother...”

Thor got up from the chair so that Frigga could sit down, but she seemed to pay him no mind. Her focus was aimed at the figure on the bed. She immediately reached out and clasped one of Loki’s hands in both of hers. She began to stroke it gently, as she likely would have done whenever her sons had fallen ill as children. Frigga had a pained frown on her face as she stared at their joined hands.

“In all the years we have been married, I have never been so furious with your father.”

“I, too, am angry about his actions. He is not thinking clearly.”

Frigga was silent for a moment, and then she finally lifted her gaze to Loki’s face. She stared at him intently, her eyes closely examining every detail. It made Loki feel uneasy.

“You really are a different person.” Loki lowered his gaze and nodded. “I am so sorry about my husband’s behavior. His judgment has become so clouded that he cannot see the truth right in front of him.”

“Mother, he has forbidden anyone from entering or leaving Asgard. I need to get Loki out of here before tomorrow, but without the Bifrost…”

“But Loki knows other ways in and out of Asgard,” Fandral said. “That was how he was able to sneak the Frost Giants in.”

“The Loki you know, does, but I don’t,” Loki argued. “I do not even remember how to perform magic, let alone get out of Asgard using a secret path or whatever it is.”

“Well, what _do_ you remember?” Sif asked. “Thor told us that you have regained some of your memories.”

“Nothing that would be useful in this situation,” Loki replied after a while.

“I think I may know of a way you can escape,” the Queen said thoughtfully. “Lady Sif, will you and the others bring Heimdall here?”

“At once, my Queen,” Sif automatically answered. After she and the two warriors left the room, Thor looked at his mother with a raised eyebrow.

“Why did you send them away when we could easily just ask Heimdall to come? He would be able to hear us.”

“Because I wanted some time alone with my boys,” Frigga said defensively.

“I guess it has been a long time since we’ve had that,” Thor said with a chuckle.

“And I am not the same Loki that you raised.” Frigga let out a sigh next to him.

“Even _that_ Loki is not the same as he was when he was a child. But it matters not. Just having you here means a lot.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could remember you, or the other Frigga. I have only recovered one memory with you in it.”

“Would you mind telling me about it?”

“No, I don’t mind. It happened when I was a child, and I came to you and said I had drawn a picture for you. When you reached for the paper, your hand passed through it and I disappeared. The real me was hiding, but when I revealed myself, you smiled and commented on how I had been practicing my doppelgangers. I said I could still only make one, but you told me you were fooled by my trick. I then gave you the drawing, and you asked me if it was meant to be a bird. I nodded yes, and then you asked where its body was. However, the memory ended, so I don’t know what happened next.”

“Mother? What’s wrong?” Thor asked in alarm. The Queen looked shaken.

“I have no recollection of this ever taking place. While it is true that I was the one who taught you how to do magic, you… I mean the other Loki… never showed an interest in art. He used to write a lot, but I never remembered him drawing. He certainly never presented me with anything.”

“This just proves that he is not a past version of the Loki we know.”

“I wonder how many of my memories are different, or if the other Loki and I share any memories, at all,” Loki muttered.

“Okay, what other memories have you recovered? Then I can tell you if they ever happened in this timeline.” Before Loki could tell Thor that he would rather not talk about it, the door opened. Sif and the Warriors Two entered the room, followed closely by Heimdall. “That was quick.”

“Heimdall was already on his way here by the time we met up with him,” Fandral said.

“Until the All-Father permits usage of the Bifrost, I feel that my remaining there would be unnecessary,” the Gatekeeper added. “Then I heard that you wanted to see me, my Queen.”

“Yes. I assume that you are already aware of why my husband has prohibited anyone to use the Bifrost.”

“I am.”

“And I am sure that we can all agree that Loki is innocent and we need to help him escape execution,” she said pointedly to the entire group. “Heimdall, would it be possible for Loki to leave Asgard during the Convergence?”

“The Convergence,” Thor gasped. “I had forgotten all about it.”

“What is… the Convergence?” Loki asked uncertainly.

“It is the perfect alignment of the Nine Worlds. It is an extremely rare phenomenon, and the last time it occurred was five thousand years ago,” Thor explained. He then turned his attention to Heimdall. “Could that actually work?”

“It could. However, there are some potential problems that he may encounter. The Convergence is very short, lasting only seven minutes. So, he must be at the right place at the right time. Also, we do not know which realm he will be sent to. Whatever realm happens to be above our own, he will be pulled into it during the Convergence. Because the Bifrost is closed, if he should end up in a dangerous realm, I will be unable to send him to a safer one. There is also a chance that the All-Father may try to pursue him, so he must wait until the very last second to escape. Once the alignment is off, no one will be able to use the effects of the Convergence to follow him.”

“When is the Convergence?” Loki asked.

“It will begin tonight at Midnight,” Heimdall answered.

“I need to find my feather before then. Have you noticed any strange phenomena?” Loki watched as the others looked at each other uncertainly. “Well, have you?”

“Yes, but…” Thor hesitated.

“But _what?_ ” Loki was starting to get annoyed.

“It’s _where_ I think the feather might be.”

“Is it somewhere bad? Is it somewhere the All-Father will see me?”

“No. It’s just… it’s in a place that is not good for you to be.”

“You still don’t trust me,” Loki remarked in disbelief. “What do I need to say to convince you that I’m only interested in finding my feather and nothing else?”

“I cannot speak for everyone else, but I do trust you. Ymir is another matter.”

“Why? He can’t take control of me. Not until… not unless I die.”

“Oh. I didn’t know.”

“That is why finding my feathers is so important. The more memories I recover, the longer I will stay alive.”

“I see. So, we need to come up with a plan. There is a guard shift change at Midnight. We just have to make sure we get in, grab the feather, and get to the Convergence spot in seven minutes.”

“We’ve been in worse situations,” Fandral commented. “What do you need us to do?”

~*~

For the next couple of hours, Thor, Sif, Fandral and Volstagg talked amongst themselves and created a plan. Heimdall told them that he predicted the location of the Convergence would be the Observatory. In their discussion, they made sure to refer to the weapons vault as “the vault.” In doing so, they hoped to keep not only Loki, but also Ymir in the dark about the fact that the Tesseract was being kept there. 

However, what they did not know was that Loki was already aware of the weapons vault’s existence. He remembered something called “the weapons vault” appearing several times in Tom’s movie, and if these two places were one and the same, it would be wise to feign ignorance. The weapons vault was where the Casket of Ancient Winters had resided until the Loki film character used it against Heimdall. Maybe it had been returned, and because he sympathized with the Frost Giants more than his counterpart of this timeline, they were worried that he might try to steal it. Or, perhaps, there was something else of even more value hidden inside the vault. 

It was decided that, during the guard shift change, Thor and Loki would fly into the vault when the new pair of guards entered through the doors. The guards from the previous shift would return their weapons to the armory, so Sif, Fandral and Volstagg would approach the vault from the opposite direction. They would then sneak into the vault and knock out the guards while Thor and Loki retrieved the feather. Once they had taken care of the guards, Sif and the Warriors Two were to return to their rooms immediately. Thor did not want any of this to be traced back to them, and he was willing to shoulder all of the blame, himself.

“My father will be aware of the presence of intruders fairly quickly. However, because of his age, by the time he reaches the vault, we will already be gone and the guards will likely have begun to regain consciousness. And even though it will appear as if nothing is missing from the vault, he will still investigate. That is why you all cannot be caught outside of your rooms.” Thor furrowed his brow in contemplation. “In fact, you should probably leave this room. Father already suspects that I will disobey his order to take Loki to the dungeons, but if he walks in here and sees us all together, then he will know that we are planning something.”

“When and where should we meet?” Sif asked.

“I would say leave your rooms no later than a quarter to Midnight. There is an alcove where you can wait until the guards from the previous shift are gone.”

“Well, we’ll see you at Midnight, if not before then,” Fandral said.

After Sif and the Warriors Two left, Heimdall said that if he was not needed for anything else, then he would return to the Observatory. Even though there was not much for him to do with the Bifrost being closed, Heimdall was not accustomed to having “free time,” and he felt more at home gazing out at the stars. Frigga asked if he would accompany her on a short errand before he went, and he agreed. As she rose from the chair, Frigga leaned over and pressed her lips to Loki’s cold forehead.

“I wish you all the best,” she said with a smile, which Loki returned.

“Thank you. I’m glad I finally got to meet you.” Frigga started to tear up a bit, so she turned around and moved to stand next to Heimdall.

“Thor, would you come lock the door behind us?”

“Uh…” There was no lock on this door, and his mother knew it. She must've had something to tell him that she didn’t want Loki to hear. “Yes, I will.”

Thor stepped away from the bed and moved around in front of Frigga and Heimdall. As he held the door open for them, Frigga turned around to face him.

“You spent so much time talking with your friends that you missed breakfast. So, I’ll have a servant bring lunch for both of you. Also, I am going to Loki’s old room to look through his spell books. Maybe I can find a few with simple spells that might help him relearn how to perform magic. I would have been willing to teach him myself if he could stay longer.”

“Thank you. I think that would be good for him.”

She turned her gaze towards the bed. Loki had his book lying open in his lap, and he was scanning the pages with his eyes. When Frigga spoke again, her voice was a hushed whisper.

“He has already been through so much, and I fear it is only going to get worse.”

“What do you mean?” Thor spared a quick glance at Loki and then looked back at his mother. “Did you see his future?”

“No. But I did see yours.”

“Well, what is it? What did you see?” She shook her head. “I know it is not your way to speak of your visions, but surely you can make an exception.”

Frigga shook her head again. She reached down and grasped both of Thor’s hands, and she stroked his knuckles with her thumbs, just as she had done with Loki earlier. Thor watched her silently and waited for her to respond. Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his own, and there was a sad smile on her face.

“You need to be strong. And you must remember that, no matter how dark things may seem, the sun will always rise again.”

Thor furrowed his brow in confusion at her cryptic words, and he waited for her to continue. Instead, she gave his hands a squeeze, released them from her grasp, and walked with Heimdall from the room without another word. After he closed the door, Thor returned to the bedside and sat in the vacated chair. He let out a sigh and shook his head. When Loki heard the noise, he glanced up from his book and noticed Thor’s troubled expression.

“Is something wrong?”

“I love my mother to death, but sometimes I just don’t understand her.” He lifted his gaze and saw that Loki was already watching him. “She has the gift of foresight, but she always keeps her visions to herself.”

“Maybe she knows that the future cannot be changed, whether she tells anyone about it or not.” Thor was staring at him in what Loki could only describe as awe. It was kind of unsettling, but he didn’t know why. Loki cleared his throat a couple times. “Or I could be wrong.”

“Are you alright?” Thor asked when Loki cleared his throat again.

“Yes, I’m just a little thirsty.”

“The servants are supposed to be bringing lunch to us later, but maybe I can ask the Healers for some water,” Thor said as he stood up.

“Oh, that’s okay. I have something in my bag. If you wouldn’t mind grabbing it for me…”

“Not at all.” After he retrieved the bag from where he left it on the floor, Thor watched as Loki pulled item after item out. “How much do you have in there?”

“Let’s see… three books, a fur cloak, some extra clothes. And my flask, which is somewhere… of course it would be on the very bottom.” He took a couple sips of honey water and sighed in contentment.

“I’m surprised. It hardly weighs anything at all. I thought those thick books would make it heavy.”

“Lord Frey gave it to me when we were in Alfheim, so I assume there’s some kind of Elvish magic to make it light weight and allow it to hold more items.”

“Do you mind?” Thor asked as he gestured to the objects Loki pulled out. Loki shook his head.

“I have nothing to hide.”

Loki replaced the stopper on the flask and set it aside. He then resumed reading his book. Thor was about to reach for another one of the books when he noticed the light blue and silver garment. He picked it up and it unfolded.

“Is this a dress?”

“No. At least… not exactly. I wore it at the banquet for my coming-of-age ceremony when we were in Jotunheim. I wasn’t able to keep the robes I wore for the actual ceremony, but that’s alright.” Before he realized he was doing it, Thor was trying to picture in his mind what Loki might look like wearing it. He started to fold it up again and his expression morphed into a tense frown. “Is everything alright over there?”

“I think that if the other Loki had embraced his origins like you did instead of resenting them, things would have turned out much different.”

“What happened, exactly? I mean… why was the other Loki in that prison cell?”

“After he learned the truth, Loki wanted to destroy Jotunheim and wipe out the Frost Giants. I’m not sure how it all led to that, because I had been banished to Earth when he found out.”

‘Banished to Earth?’ Loki thought. ‘Just like in Tom’s movie.’

“While I do not condone Loki’s actions, I can understand why he hated the Frost Giants, because of how we were raised.” Loki’s brow furrowed in confusion, and Thor let out a sigh. “We were told as children to fear the Frost Giants. I used to call them monsters. But I don’t think of them that way anymore.”

“If you are worried about offending me, there is no need. For all I know, I may have felt the same before this all started. I know the people I had been traveling with had similar opinions of the Frost Giants as you once did.” 

“How did you find out?”

“Two of the memories I recovered took place on Jotunheim when I was a baby. And I also had a dream about it. When the Bifrost sent us to Jotunheim, there was no feather there, but I wanted to see for myself if it was true.”

“I suppose finding out on your own rather than someone else telling you made a difference. And since there was a ceremony held in your honor, I guess that means the Frost Giants welcomed you. Apparently, my father told Loki that Laufey left him in the snow to die because he was born small. But I suppose we’ll never know the truth.”

“I don’t believe that’s the case. It may take some convincing, but I’m sure both Loki and your father would be willing to tell you what really took place while you were on Earth. If we can find my traveling companions, we’ll find the other Loki.” Thor wanted to tell him that what he actually meant when he said they would never know the truth was that Laufey was dead, but Loki continued speaking. “So, that was the reason for his imprisonment?”

“Not exactly. The biggest reason was what happened after that.” Loki waited patiently for Thor to continue. “The Bifrost’s power grew so out of control, that the only way to stop it from destroying Jotunheim was to destroy the Bifrost, itself. So, I used Mjolnir to destroy the Rainbow Bridge, but the explosion caused Loki and me to nearly fall. My father came in time, but… Loki let go.”

‘Just like Tom’s movie.’

“I thought he was dead. But over a year later, he suddenly reappeared on Midgard. He had been given a scepter, the same one in your dream, most likely. He used it to take control of two of my friends and to steal… another weapon.” Loki thought he might elaborate more, but when he didn’t, he figured that this other weapon was not something that Thor wanted Ymir to know about. “Loki allied himself with an alien army, known as the Chitauri, and he used this stolen weapon to bring them to Earth and attempted to conquer Midgard. There was a lot of destruction and many lives were lost. My friends and I were able to defeat him and the Chitauri, and then I brought him back here to face judgment.”

“Your friends? Do you mean Sif and the Warriors Three?”

“No. There were six of us, five Midgardians and myself. We were brought together and formed a group called The Avengers.”

‘The Avengers. That was the name of the movie Tom was filming the last time I saw him. Tom said that he was playing the villain, but he hinted that not everything Loki did was by choice. What if Loki was forced to attack Midgard?’

“Like you, I do not condone the other Loki’s actions. But I can understand why he was so angry. Unlike him, I have somewhere I know I can return to. But Loki didn’t belong anywhere. Jotunheim rejected him when he was born, and he never felt like he truly belonged in Asgard. Maybe he was trying to make a home for himself on Midgard.”

“Well, if he really wanted that, then he could have done so without killing innocent people. He could have lived on Midgard without becoming a tyrant.”

“Loki is the son of Laufey, King of Jotunheim. He was raised by Odin, King of Asgard. From a very young age, he was told that he was born to be a King, that he was destined to rule. The idea that he had to sit upon a throne was conditioned so strongly in him, that he probably thought he had no other choice.” Loki then lifted his eyes and held Thor’s gaze. “You were always meant to be Odin’s successor. Because you were the favorite son. Everything was so effortless for you. But Loki had to work harder and struggle more than you ever had to. And no matter what he did, he was never able to make Odin proud. That was why he let go.”

Thor felt his body shudder, and for a moment he was reminded of when he was chastised as a child for doing something foolish or dangerous. Even if he tried to deny what Loki was saying, that Odin did love the other Loki as much as he loved him, Thor knew it wasn’t true. His father’s earlier behavior—his refusal to look at Loki and see that he was a different person and his willingness to let Loki die rather than save him—was all the proof he needed. Thor had tried to ignore it, pretend it wasn’t as serious as it was, but now that he thought about it, images of all the times Loki looked so depressed and disappointed by Odin’s lack of praise for his achievements filled his mind. Thor had certainly disappointed his father, and they’d argued plenty of times, but he never doubted for a second that he was loved and that his father was proud of him.

Loki watched as Thor seemed to be having an internal struggle. His eyes widened slightly when Thor reached out and covered one of his hands with his own. Thor’s skin felt so warm, and a pleasant heat started to spread through his limbs. Without even realizing it, Loki leaned towards him. A knock at the door broke the spell, and Thor snatched his hand back. Loki held back a groan of disappointment when the coldness flooded back into his body.

“Who is there?” Thor asked as he grabbed Mjolnir and rose from the chair.

“The Queen asked me to bring you your lunch, Your Highness,” a timid voice replied.

Thor visibly relaxed his tense shoulders and replaced Mjolnir at his hip. He went to the door and opened it, taking the tray from the servant and thanking him. He kicked the door closed and approached the bed, but he looked around for a flat surface to place it. Loki crossed his legs and sat up higher on the bed, and he patted at a spot on the mattress.

“Here is fine.” Thor smiled at him and sat down. When the tray cover was removed, Loki rubbed his hands together. “Looks good.”

“Loki…”

“What?” Loki asked before he popped a grape into his mouth.

“I’m really glad you’re here. There are a lot of things you’ve said about the other Loki that I didn’t know, or that I tried to ignore or deny. And I doubt the other Loki would ever admit them willingly. So, thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome. I hope that the other Loki can get a second chance. I think everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves.”

“I agree.”

They continued to eat their lunch in silence, occasionally smiling at one another and looking away at the last moment. For a little while, everything else that was happening seemed to fade from their consciousness. Instead, they chose to spend the short time Fate had given them together, just enjoying each other’s presence. In this moment, at least, life was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be on hiatus until late December because I start school on Monday.


	10. Asgard - Asgard When It Sizzles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Leytr and Miyara for being my only two commenters! You get a star to add to your crown and... bragging rights.
> 
> The title is based on the Audrey Hepburn movie "Paris When it Sizzles."

“Do you think you might be able to walk, now?” Thor asked after they had finished their lunch.

Loki kneaded his legs experimentally and concluded that there was no numbness. He then turned so his legs dangled over the side of the bed. As soon as he tried to stand, he swayed and tipped backwards. Thor was at his side immediately, but Loki waved him off.

“I think I will be alright if I have something to hold onto.”

“You can hold onto me,” Thor replied automatically. Loki looked up at him with wide eyes and Thor cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sturdy.”

“Okay.” Loki’s lips curled into an amused smile. “I’ll take you up on that offer. But where exactly are we going? I thought it would be too dangerous for me to be wandering around.”

“We are going to Loki’s old room. There will not be very many people in that area, since only the royal family and a few others are allowed. My mother said she wanted to look through Loki’s old spell books and hoped to find some beginner-level ones that might help you learn magic again.” 

“That is very kind of her. Would you thank her for me?”

“Of course. Shall we go?”

“Sure. I just need to put everything back in my bag.”

“Let me help.”

“It’s fine. I can do this.” Thor was slightly taken aback by Loki’s tone, but it wasn’t as if this was the first time he’d heard it. Loki kept his head down as he placed the books in his bag, followed by his garments and the Elven flask. “I’m sorry.”

“There is no need to apologize. I know how capable you are.”

“The others kept treating me like I was fragile, too. Especially Thor. But maybe I am fragile, after Ymir…” His voice trailed off and his complexion took on a sickly shade of green. Loki took a deep breath and secured the strap on his bag before he hung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

When Thor held his arm out to him, Loki was reminded of that night in Jotunheim when his Thor danced with him. He was filled with a mixture of emotions. He felt happy because those few days spent getting to know his family were the best he’d had since this journey began, and he felt eagerness to find all of his memories so he could return to his family. There was also a feeling of sorrow. Jotunheim was where he first heard his soulmate’s voice and felt his touch. And now that voice had gone silent. Jotunheim was also where Thor confessed his feelings for him. Even though it was still so new, Loki and Thor’s relationship then had been pretty good. A lot had happened since they left Jotunheim, and Loki didn’t think they would ever have that again. There was too much betrayal to allow that.

“Is everything alright?” Loki was startled by Thor’s voice. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was.

“Sorry. I was just thinking about someone who was important to me once, but now we have drifted apart. Our… bond… is no longer there.” Loki shook his head before he got up and held onto Thor’s arm.

“I am sorry to hear that. I know how it feels.”

“What?” Loki looked over at him in surprise. As he continued to watch his face, he then realized that Thor was talking about the other Loki. “You do, don’t you?”

Thor met his gaze and only smiled at him sadly. Loki felt his stomach drop, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It wasn’t a feeling of dread. It was more like… anticipation. He found that he could not look away. He didn’t even realize they had already left the Healing Rooms until Thor spoke again.

“How is your balance?” Loki jerked his head to the side and stared at the floor. 

“It’s good.” Thor hmm’ed next to him. “I had a question. This plan for tonight seems to be pretty simple. I mean, it’s certainly something that the two of us could handle, or even just you. And you said yourself that you didn’t want Odin to know that your friends were involved. So, why are Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg going?”

“Because I know they would have insisted on going even if I had asked them not to,” Thor said with a chuckle. The smile on his face was similar to the one Loki had seen last night. “Do you not want them to help?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I was only curious.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Thor had been right when he said that there would be very few people roaming the halls. They only had a couple close calls when a servant appeared around a corner. Whenever that happened, Thor pulled Loki against him and turned them towards the wall, Thor using his larger frame as a shield. As soon as the other person was gone, Thor immediately resumed walking as if nothing had happened. Loki had his eyes closed the entire time, hoping to keep his heart from leaping out of his throat.

“We’re here.”

Loki opened his eyes and saw that Thor was holding the door open for him. He walked inside, and he tried to suppress a shiver when Thor placed a hand on his back. Loki knew there was no deeper meaning behind it, that Thor was only supporting him in case he lost his balance. But to him, it felt like something else. Something that had happened in the past. 

As he walked further into the room, he took in his surroundings. Nothing about this room was familiar. This appeared to be some kind of sitting room, and the bedroom and washroom were elsewhere. The only memory he could recall that took place here was the one where young Thor had mentioned a sister. But most of the memory had occurred in Thor's room, and it had been nighttime, so he couldn’t see very well. Loki wondered if his room also looked like this.

There was another door and he moved towards it. His eyes fell on the bed in the middle of the room, and he saw about a dozen books set out. Since Frigga had wanted to find easy spells for him, hopefully these books would not be nearly as complicated as the ones he had. Loki stopped beside the bed and picked up one of the books. Just as he was about to open it, his gaze lifted to something ahead of him. A balcony. 

Heat warmed his cheeks and his heart began to beat a little faster. He set the book down and stepped towards the balcony, almost in a trance. By the time he was outside, his hands were shaking. His breath came out in shuddering gasps. He remembered standing here once before, in the late hours of the night. Loki’s skin tingled where he had been touched. On the side of his neck, on his stomach, between his legs. He remembered how the other man’s body felt pressed up against his back, whispering into his ear, reminding Loki to whom he belonged.

Loki staggered forward suddenly and gripped the railing for dear life. His gaze fell then. He could hear and feel his pulse in his ears. His eyes were drawn to the carvings in the stone, spelling out his name. The heat was stifling.

“Loki, are you alright?”

Loki tore his gaze away from the Runes and looked to his left, where Thor was staring at him with concern. His green eyes widened in fear, as if he were seeing a stranger. The pounding in his head worsened, and he felt like he was about to pass out.

“I think I’m going to…” 

“Loki!”

~*~

Thor’s neck was starting to become sore from all the times he had looked up at Loki’s still form. He had managed to break Loki’s fall before he hit his head on the railing, and he carried him over to the bed. That had been nearly an hour ago, and Thor was considering bringing Loki to the Healing Rooms again, but there was probably nothing that the Healers could do for him. It was also too risky to carry him through the halls. After he tucked Loki underneath the blankets, Thor gathered up the books and set them on the nearby table. He decided to sit at the table and look through them while he waited for Loki to wake up. But as the minutes stretched on and on with no change, Thor started to feel concerned.

Had Ymir done something to him again? Or was he being affected by what had been done to him earlier? But that couldn’t have been the reason, because that didn’t explain why Loki had looked at him so strangely. It was as if he was afraid of him.

Thor let out a deep sigh and tossed the book he’d been looking at onto the pile with the others. He kept reading the same sentence over and over again and it still didn’t make sense to him. And these books were supposed to be easy! Although they were not nearly as confusing as the book Loki was reading, they still gave him a small headache. Actually, reading in general gave him a headache.

He then heard slight movement from the bed, and Thor’s head snapped up for probably the hundredth time in the last hour. Loki was groaning as he stretched, and then he pushed the blankets back.

“Loki. Thank the Nine.” Loki looked at him startled, as if he hadn’t expected him to be there.

“What happened?”

“You fainted. On the balcony. You’ve been unconscious for almost an hour.”

“Oh…” Thor couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Loki’s cheeks darken slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Thor said with a chuckle. He got up and walked over to the side of the bed. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Mm hmm. I was just… very warm.” Loki flinched back when Thor placed the back of his hand against his forehead.

“You still feel cold to me.”

“I’m always cold.”

“No. Not like this. Yes, your body temperature was always somewhat lower than most people’s, but it should not be like this.” Loki wilted and stared at his lap. “Would you like to have a look at the spell books Mother found?”

“Okay.”

Instead of standing up and holding onto him for support like before, Loki got up on the other side of the bed and staggered towards the table until he could reach one of the chairs. Loki sat down and kept his gaze on the books, even when Thor sat in the chair across from him. He picked one and bent over the pages as he read. Thor stared at the top of Loki’s head for a few seconds before he decided to just let it go. If Loki wanted to ignore him, then Thor wouldn’t try to stop him.

“Do you want any help?” 

“It would probably be better if I read this. I’m sure none of this will make much sense to you, since you do not use magic.” Loki then seemed to have an idea, because he lifted his gaze to Thor’s. “Actually… you might be able to help.”

“Okay? Which one is it?” Thor asked with a laugh.

“You could look at my books about soul magic, and if you find anything that you think might be useful, fold the corner of the page.” 

“Sure. I can do that.” Thor picked up Loki’s bag from the floor and began to dig through it. “It’s better than staring at the top of your head.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t angry with you or anything. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Well, I am relieved to hear that. I had hoped that we would part on good terms.”

When Loki didn’t respond, Thor turned his attention to the book in front of him. It was the one Loki had been reading, because there were three places where pages had been marked. He opened to the first marked page, which was the one about Soul Energy Solidification he looked at earlier. He moved on to the next folded page. It was the one that Fandral had been reading. He started to read the description of Soul Mutilation, and his stomach heaved.

‘Soul Mutilation is the ability to inflict severe and irreparable damage to the soul. Victims of Soul Mutilation experience agonizing pain because damage is also inflicted on the physical body. Damage caused by Soul Mutilation is permanent, and it can even result in death or complete destruction of the victim’s soul.’

Thor brought a hand to his mouth to keep the bile down. No wonder Loki had been in such bad shape when he found him this morning. He took a deep breath and kept reading. 

‘Damage inflicted by Soul Mutilation is reversable if one possesses the ability of Soul Healing. Users can repair damage done to his or her own soul or to the souls of others. Soul Healing can also rejoin soul fragments that have been separated through Soul Splitting.

‘Soul Healing has limitations, such as the inability to repair all damage done to a soul. Users may feel tired and they may have to transfer energy from their own soul in order to heal another’s. However, this is not an issue for those who are connected through a Soul Link. Users possess a link to someone or something through their souls, and this allows them to not only know the other’s location at all times, but to share powers and abilities.’ 

_Oh._

“Hey Loki, have you ever heard of—” He tailed off when he looked up and saw Loki sitting up straight with his eyes closed. Thor could hear Loki breathing, slowly and deeply. “What are you doing?”

Loki opened his eyes and relaxed his shoulders a bit. He traced his finger along the page until he found what he was looking for.

“This says that magic is energy. Magic users draw on the energy around them, allowing it to enter their body, and then they channel that energy into a spell. So, I am trying to feel the energy.”

“Hmm. That kind of sounds like what I do when I use Mjolnir. I draw the energy and electricity from storm clouds into Mjolnir and use that energy to attack my enemies.”

“Yeah. I guess it is similar. Maybe you’ve been doing magic this whole time and you never realized it.” Loki had his chin cradled in his palm. “So, when you draw on the energy of storms, what does it feel like? Or does it even feel like anything?”

“Well, not to sound redundant, but it feels like static electricity. Kind of like when the hair on your arms stands on-end.” 

There was a pleasant warmth in Thor’s chest. The other Loki had never shown any interest in his powers or how they worked, so it was nice to be able to talk about it with this one.

“Oh. I don’t think that’s what this is talking about. I don’t know how it’s supposed to feel.”

“You just learned about it, so no one would expect you to understand it so soon. But I know you’ll figure it out. You’re the smartest person I know.”

“You think so?”

“I _know_ so.”

“If you say so.” Loki averted his gaze and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you think you could show me how you do it?”

“Right now?” Loki nodded. “Well, it probably wouldn’t be a very good idea to do that in here. The other Loki would be mad if I flooded his room, even though he’s not using it at the moment. Although, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve made it rain indoors.”

“Oh. Yeah, good point. Forget I asked. I’ll figure something out.”

“I could try and feel the energy around us. But it might be easier to do it outside. Maybe on the balcony.” Loki’s eyes darted towards the balcony and his cheeks became flushed. “Unless you would rather not.”

“No, it’s fine,” Loki said with a wave of his hand. “It’s just…”

“There is something about that balcony that is making you act strangely. What is it?”

“Really, it’s nothing.” Loki clasped his hands together on the table in an attempt to stop them from shaking. “Please, just stop asking.”

“I’m sorry, Loki. I never meant to—” 

When Thor leaned across the table and reached for Loki’s hands, the other man snatched them away. He placed them in his lap and turned sideways in his chair. Thor couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He had held Loki’s hand when they were in the Healing Rooms, and he didn’t seem to mind it. He also didn’t seem to mind it when he held onto Thor for support. Now, all of a sudden, it was almost as if Loki was repulsed by him. So much for parting on good terms.

They both looked at the doorway when they heard a quiet knock. Frigga entered and the smile that had been on her face fell when she sensed the tension in the room.

“I hope you two haven’t been fighting. _Again_.”

“No, nothing like that,” Thor answered with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Loki was just explaining to me that one of the books said magic comes from the energy around us.”

“Oh, good. I had hoped you would find that one.” The Queen sat down when Thor offered her his chair. “Has it been helpful?”

“A little bit,” Loki answered. He turned and faced her. “I just don’t know how to feel the energy. I’m trying, but I can’t find it.”

“Where have you been looking?”

“Um… in here? In this room?” She nodded in understanding.

“Try limiting your search to a smaller area. When your area of focus is larger, such as this entire room, it is more difficult to isolate the energy and draw from it.” She held her hands in front of her with her palms facing each other. When she nodded at him, Loki copied her movements. “Just focus on the space between your palms.”

Loki nodded and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he jerked his hands apart.

“Wow,” he said breathlessly.

“What happened?” Thor asked.

“I felt something. It was almost like… a spark.” He rubbed his hands together because they were tingling. After a few more seconds, he finally met Thor’s eyes. “Maybe you were right about the static.”

“Just remember to start small. With more practice, it will become second nature to you,” Frigga said warmly. “Something else to remember is to use all five senses.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sensing energy through touch alone can be difficult for one who is just learning the basics of magic. You also have to look for it with your eyes, listen for it, even smell and taste it.”

“Energy has a smell and a taste?” Frigga nodded. “Well, what does it smell like? How does it taste?”

“The aroma and flavor change, just as energy is frequently changing. And that is something for you to find out for yourself. But once you have done so for the first time, everything will become so much clearer.”

“Thank you. That really helped. I never would have been able to figure out what I was doing wrong.”

“Well, I did teach you… him… everything I know.” She then reached out and grasped one of his hands. Thor frowned slightly when Loki squeezed back instead of pulled his hand away. “Magic has always been such an important part of Loki’s life, of his identity. Loki would not be Loki without it. And it just breaks my heart knowing that you have lost that.”

“When I woke up, I was basically a blank slate. I was alive, yet I had no life. But I am slowly putting myself back together.” He sounded much more optimistic than he felt. “I wish circumstances were different, because I would love to learn from you again.”

“Since that is not possible, the next best thing would be for you to take those books with you.”

“Really? Are you sure? I mean… the other Loki won’t mind?”

“The spells in those books were ones that Loki learned when he was a boy. He knows them like the back of his hand. They will only collect dust on the shelves, whether he lives here or not. And you need them more than he does.”

“Well, okay. I guess I can’t argue with that.” Loki’s smile faded when the Queen rose to her feet. “You are leaving?”

“Your father has been asking for your whereabouts,” she said to Thor. “I have to keep him distracted so he does not search for you here.”

“I am surprised he has not simply asked Heimdall,” Thor said bitterly.

“As I said, I have been keeping him preoccupied so that he does not have the chance to ask Heimdall. I will have my most trusted servant bring your supper. She will not report your location to the All-Father.” She pressed her lips to Loki’s forehead before she turned around and kissed Thor’s cheek. “You both be careful tonight. Try not to do anything too reckless.”

“We’ll try not to.” 

Thor reclaimed his chair and watched as his mother disappeared through the doorway. When he heard the door to the outer chamber shut, he turned his focus to Loki. Thor knew everything would go smoothly tonight, because she had seen his future. Her tone of voice indicated that, whatever was going to happen, it would affect him greatly. She also said that Loki had already been through a lot, and that he was only going to face more challenges. This meant that both he and Loki would survive beyond tonight.

Loki had his hands in front of him again, and every so often they would twitch. He seemed to be trying to keep them still. Out of curiosity, Thor mimicked him and immediately felt the static electricity tingling up his arms.

“Hold your hands close to mine. Then you might be able to feel it.”

“Okay.” Loki scooted his chair a little closer so that neither of them would have to lean forward. He lifted a hand and held it about an inch above Thor’s, but he pulled back slightly. “I’m not going to get electrocuted or anything, am I?”

“I don’t think so. I hope not.” Loki continued to watch him skeptically. “I won’t let that happen. Promise.”

Loki nodded and lowered his hand again. Instead of stopping above it, he held it in between Thor’s hands. The reaction was instantaneous.

“It feels like tiny insects are crawling on my arms. Wait… no, it is more like… the pins-and-needles when your foot falls asleep.”

“That would be a pretty accurate description,” Thor agreed.

Loki closed his eyes and kept his hand there. Every so often, his brow would furrow.

“I hear a crackling. Or a sizzling.” He inhaled deeply through his nose. “It smells like rain.”

“That’s three senses. Two more to go.”

“It tastes…” He nibbled on his bottom lip, and then he opened his eyes. “Smoky? I guess when lightning hits the ground or a tree and there’s smoke?”

“One more.”

Loki lowered his gaze to their hands. He stared at them for about a minute. At first he thought his vision might be swimming, but then he realized that he could see it. Swirling gold lights, almost like glowing dust particles. It reminded him of the warm golden light that embraced him when he was trapped in the darkness.

“Golden starlight.” His voice was trance-like. He then blinked sharply. “Or perhaps embers floating towards the sky.”

“Do they look like fireflies?” Loki looked at him in confusion.

“What are fireflies?”

“They are beetles whose abdomens create bioluminescence in order to attract a mate or prey. Basically, their butts glow.” Loki giggled. “We used to catch them when we were children. Er… I mean… the other Loki and I did. I know you are not him, but I keep forgetting.”

“That’s okay. So, what did you do with them after you caught them?”

“Well, one time we caught one and put it in a glass jar. But the next morning it was dead and Loki was really upset. So, after that we caught them in our hands, held them close to our eyes like this.” He cupped his hands together and held them next to his right eye. “And then we let them go. We should be able to see them tonight, since they come out during the warmer months.”

“But… what about the Convergence?”

“They usually appear at sunset, so there will be plenty of time to see them before we have to carry out our plan.”

“I see.”

“So, you were able to learn that pretty quickly,” Thor commented after a while.

“Mm hmm. I actually didn’t think I would be able to do it at all. I’m just as surprised as you.”

“I’m not surprised. You are amazing and extremely talented.”

“Yeah?” Loki offered a shy smile at Thor’s enthusiastic nod. It quickly turned into a sad frown. “Odin never seemed to think so. Asgard never seemed to think so.”

“I’m sorry, Loki. I often tried to convince Father about your strengths and potential, but I guess it wasn’t enough.”

“It doesn’t matter, now. It can’t be changed. But I know that my real family is proud of me. And that is enough.” Loki moved his chair back and folded his hands on the table in front of him. “Have you found anything in that book that is of interest?”

“Actually, yes. It was on the same page that was describing Soul Mutilation.” Loki gulped and visibly tensed. “I just wanted to know what exactly Ymir did to you, and I found a possible way to repair the damage.”

“Oh?”

“It’s called Soul Healing. I can cover the part about Soul Mutilation if you want.”

“No, that’s alright. I should read the entire thing in its full context in order to better understand it.” Thor turned the book around and pushed it towards him. “Thank you.”

As Loki read the description of Soul Mutilation, he wrapped his arms around his middle. If Ymir did it to him again, he could die. But the real question was, why had Ymir never done it before? Was it because Ymir did not have a physical body, so he was not as strong? Or was it because Soul Mutilation took a lot of energy? Those were both possibilities, but Loki felt like he was still missing something. Ymir had said that he could not yet take full control of his body, so that may indicate that his power is weaker without a physical body. He also said that he would not be resurrected until Loki died. To Loki, it sounded as if Ymir’s resurrection would only be possible if Loki died of natural causes, without Ymir’s involvement. Loki was meant to be Ymir’s vessel, so it kind of made sense that Ymir would not be able to take control of Loki’s body if he just killed him outright.

There was a deep chuckle in the back of his mind. He had been quiet for a while, but not long enough for Loki's tastes.

'While those are logical theories, none of them are correct.'

Loki chose to ignore him. He was surprised when Ymir chose not to keep prodding at him, and he simply left him alone. If Ymir was telling the truth, then that meant the reason he hadn't already killed him was one that Loki hadn't yet thought of. Whatever the reason, Loki knew one thing. Although Ymir had inflicted a lot of damage and essentially shortened his life, Loki still had a sliver of hope. He still had time. 

Loki kept reading until he got to the part about Soul Healing. It was an intriguing concept, and he wondered if any of his books mentioned a way to learn the ability. Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew that it would be impossible for him to learn something like that. He just learned how to sense energy for the first time, and he had a feeling that Soul Healing was an ability that took a very long time to develop and perfect. Time that Loki did not have.

Feeling a bit disappointed, he continued reading. As his eyes fell upon the words Soul Link, he let out a gasp.

‘This is it! This is why we are meant to be bonded! Because he will be the one to heal me!’

Even though he still knew nothing about his soulmate’s identity, what he looked like, his name… Loki did know that he may be Asgardian and that he is a Soul Healer. He read the sentences again and brought a hand to his mouth. His vision blurred, but it was because he was so overcome with relief.

‘I can’t believe it.’

“So, does that sound like anything that could help you?” Loki almost forgot that Thor was there. Again.

“Yes. Definitely. This could be the key to prolonging my life.” He then smiled at Thor gratefully. “Thank you so much. If you hadn’t told me about this, I never would have looked at this page. Because I was afraid of what I would find.”

“I’m glad I could make things a little easier for you. I know that you will be leaving in a few hours, but I hope that, until then, I can help you out as much as I can. To make up for all of the times I let my brother down.”

Loki tried to prevent the disappointment he felt from showing on his face. Thor wasn’t helping him because he wanted to. He was helping him because of guilt. He was only trying to redeem himself for his past mistakes. Loki pushed the book across the table and picked up one of the spell books in front of him. If his movements were stiff and jerky, Thor didn’t comment on it.

‘That’s right. In a few hours, I can continue my journey and move on with my life. I can leave Asgard behind. For good.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tee hee. Loki getting all flustered when thinking about his man.
> 
> I hope my explanation of how magic works made more sense than that Midi-chlorian bullshit. I thought of the idea for Loki focusing on a small amount of energy between his hands because I practice Tai Chi, and a lot of the forms involve holding your hands close together and containing the energy between them.


	11. Asgard - Mission Impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always welcomed! Hint hint.

As soon as he noticed the frown lines on Loki’s face, and that he had turned sideways in his chair, Thor knew that Loki was mad at him again. He didn’t know what he’d done, this time. All he said was that he wanted to help Loki as much as he could before he left Asgard. Thor knew that body language well enough, so it would do no good to try and ask Loki what was wrong. He heaved a sigh and continued looking through the book about soul magic.

If he was being honest with himself, Thor wasn’t interested in just helping Loki with the massive amount of reading material he’d accumulated. For some unknown reason, Thor couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Loki’s side. It was as if a voice in his head was telling him that something bad was going to happen should he lose sight of Loki for even a second. Thor couldn’t put into words what this strange feeling was like. He never recalled anything similar when it involved the other Loki. Then why was it so different with this one? 

Thor rubbed a hand over his face and returned his focus to the page. It did him no good to dwell on such things, since it wasn’t going to matter in a few hours. Loki would be gone, and Thor had to try to convince his father to allow him to search for the other Loki before he caused trouble. Maybe he was just worried about what his mother said and his overactive imagination was getting the better of him.

As he kept reading, Thor noticed a pattern. This book, or at least this section of the book, was essentially a glossary that described different types of soul powers and items related to soul magic. That explained why the Soul Stone was mentioned. Thor had no idea there were so many abilities. A lot of them were either too confusing for him to grasp or they wouldn’t be helpful in this situation. And until Loki had relearned basic magic, he wouldn’t be able to learn any of these highly advanced powers. Instead, Thor searched for other ways to help restore his strength.

He found a couple of abilities, which were related in some ways. One was called Soul Absorption. As the name suggested, it was the ability to absorb souls by removing them from the original source. Users can enhance themselves, gain the powers of their victim, or turn the soul itself into a power source. From the way it was worded, it sounded like the victim is still alive when their soul is absorbed. Perhaps the other Loki would not feel guilt for committing such actions, but this Loki would likely not agree to it. Even though Thor had spent less than a day with him, he assumed that Loki would not want to cause unnecessary harm to innocent people. The other Loki, however, demonstrated how little he valued innocent lives when he set the Bifrost’s power loose on Jotunheim and when he brought the Chitauri to New York. 

He skipped the rest of the entry and looked at the next one. Soul Empowerment was the power to gain strength from souls. Unlike Soul Absorption, where a soul is ripped from a person’s body, users of Soul Empowerment can become stronger when they come in contact with, are in possession of, or are near the souls of others. Soul Empowerment allows an individual to enhance his or her physical strength, existing powers, and even slow or stop the aging process. If Thor understood it correctly, Loki would only need to be standing close to someone in order to increase his strength, and there would be no harm to the other person. He folded the corner of the page and wondered if Loki would even respond if he asked him about it. He looked up at the man across from him, but his mouth immediately snapped shut.

Loki had been staring at the same page for almost an hour. Thor knew it because there was an illustration at the top of the page, and every time he snuck a glance, the book was still opened to that same page.

“Is something wrong?” Loki seemed to awaken from a trance, and he shook his head to clear his mind.

“I… was wondering. Is there anyone in Asgard who is a Soul Healer?” The question caught Thor off-guard for a second.

“Not that I’m aware of. The Healers use very powerful magic, but it only works on physical wounds. They could not do anything to repair the damage Ymir caused.” Loki looked disappointed by his answer.

“I see. I guess I was wrong, then. Maybe he isn’t Asgardian.” The last part was muttered under his breath, but Thor still heard it.

“Who?”

“Uh…” Loki’s cheeks were flushed again. He was fiddling with his hands nervously. The other Loki often did the same thing, as did his mother. “It’s nothing. It’s not important.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.” Thor waited a few seconds for Loki to respond, but he stayed silent. He actually looked even more uncomfortable. “Are you going to shut me out again? I just want to help you.”

“I know you do,” Loki said with a sigh. He shrugged one shoulder. “There is not much to tell. I know very little about this person. All I do know is that we haven’t met, yet. When you told me about Soul Healing, I thought that maybe the reason we are supposed to meet is because he has that power. And I thought he might be Asgardian, but I was mistaken.”

“Why would you think that?” Thor thought that Loki’s cheeks were the same color as his eyes when he was in his Jotun form. He was acting jittery like he had been earlier. Thor’s eyes shifted towards the balcony for a second before they returned to the trembling figure. “Is this somehow related to that balcony?”

Loki covered his face with his hands. Thor thought he wasn’t going to respond, but a few seconds later he nodded his head. Loki’s words were muffled but Thor got the gist of them.

“I had a dream about him. It happened over there. That’s why I thought he lived here.”

“And you have no idea who this person is? What he looks like?” Loki shook his head. “How will you know when you meet him? How do you know you have not already crossed paths without realizing it?”

Loki slowly lowered his hands to his lap. He hadn’t actually considered what it would feel like when he did meet his soulmate. He figured he would just _know._ Or at least he would hear his voice and recognize it. But that wouldn’t work, since he never remembered how it sounded when he woke up. And he hadn’t heard him ever since he sought help from Amora.

“I don’t. I hope that isn’t the case, because I’m not sure I will be able to find him again.”

“And you’re certain this person is a man?” Loki cleared his throat.

“Yeah. Definitely a man.”

Thor wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he had a guess. Judging by Loki’s embarrassment. He couldn’t recall the other Loki acting like this for any reason. Thor had a feeling that there was a lot that Loki wasn’t telling him. But before he could question him further, there was a knock at the outer door.

Loki sat still as Thor got up from the table and went to answer the door. After he was out of sight, Loki released the breath he’d been holding and covered his face again. This was so awkward!

‘Is it possible to die from embarrassment? Because I think I’m about to.’ He let out a groan. ‘Ugh, why did you tell him all that? He probably thinks you’re a freak.’

“Supper.”

“Okay,” Loki mumbled after Thor set the tray down on the table. His eyes widened when the lid was removed. “That’s… a lot of food.”

“Well, yes. It seems Mother wanted to make sure you ate enough before you continued your journey.”

“That was very thoughtful of her. Especially because there is no way of knowing where I will end up. I just hope it isn’t Muspellheim again.”

“I wish for that, too.”

Not only was Muspellheim a perilous realm on its own, but it was the worst possible place for Loki to end up, due to his Frost Giant heritage. The fact that Loki would be stranded and without Heimdall’s help made it even worse. Now, Thor was starting to wonder if his mother’s warning had to do with where the Convergence sent Loki.

“I’m going to keep reading while I eat,” Loki said as he finally turned to a different page. He turned forward in his chair and set the book down on the table. He reached blindly for items on the tray, and he never once paid any attention to what he was putting in his mouth. Loki finally did look up when Thor let out a chuckle. “What’s so funny?”

“I know you and the other Loki are two different people. But you also do some of the same things. He usually had his face buried in a book when he was eating.”

“I see. It must be difficult being around me, considering how tense your relationship with the other Loki is.”

“Not at all.” At Loki’s look of surprise, Thor cleared his throat and rubbed at his chin. “What I mean is… there has been some tension between us, but we have also talked about things that the other Loki and I never would have discussed. And, I could be wrong, but I don’t think the tension between us has been nearly as potent.”

“Oh.”

When Loki went back to his reading, Thor tried not to make a noise of frustration. What had he said this time? He didn’t think he’d said anything offensive. Why was he so bad at this?

Loki could practically feel Thor’s agitation from across the table. Even though he felt a little guilty for being so distant, he knew that he was doing the right thing. It would be a bad idea to get too close since Loki would be leaving soon. And besides, Loki’s past experiences made it really hard for him to trust people. Except for Tom, of course. The two times they had met, Tom seemed genuinely interested in what Loki had to say, and he was always so excited to be around him. There wasn’t a selfish bone in his body.

When the food was a little over halfway gone, Loki felt like he was about to explode. He couldn’t eat another bite. Thor must have noticed him holding his stomach.

“Full?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t even paying any attention to what or how much I was eating. That was probably not a good idea.”

“You’ll feel better in no time. Take a break.”

Loki turned his gaze towards the balcony and he noticed that the sun had already set. When he looked around the room, he saw several candles had been lit. Had Thor done that? He never even realized it.

“Something wrong?” Loki shook his head.

“I just didn’t realize how long we’d been here. It’s almost time.”

“Yeah.”

“I guess your mother was able to keep your father occupied.” Thor chuckled.

“She has her ways.”

“Why did Odin want to wait until tomorrow to kill me? I mean… he could have easily just gotten it out of the way.”

“I assume he did not want to risk any mistakes. The other Loki has been able to get out of perilous situations with magic. I know you can’t do anything like that, but I’m guessing my father was also worried about Ymir complicating things. And he probably wanted to make it a public execution.”

“I see. Now, I think I understand what my father meant.”

“Hmm?”

“Laufey told me that my coming-of-age ceremony on Jotunheim would not be as extravagant as the pageantry of Asgard. I didn’t know what he was talking about, since I had no memories of Asgardian feasts or ceremonies.” Loki was also thinking about the memory he found in the maze, and how all of Asgard had been there to witness his humiliation.

“Well, Laufey wasn’t wrong.”

“Um… could I see that book again? I wanted to read about Soul Healing one more time.”

“Sure.” Thor turned it to the correct page and pushed the book across the table. “Are you still thinking about this person?”

“Yes. I thought maybe there would be information in here about how I would know if I met him.”

“I couldn’t tell you,” Thor said as he took a sip of his wine.

“How did you know that Jane Foster was the one?” Thor spluttered and pounded against his chest.

“What?” He croaked.

“I’m sorry. I just thought you—”

“How do you know about Jane?”

“Uh… I mean, I know _of_ her. And I know that you care for her.”

That was true. He did care for Jane. When he had to leave her behind in order to fight his brother, he never would have imagined it would be the last time he saw her. His decision to destroy the Bifrost, to lose his connection to her in order to save Jotunheim, was the hardest choice he’d ever had to make. From that day onward, Thor always asked Heimdall about Jane’s well-being. It made him happy to know that she was also trying to find a way back to him.

After the power of the Tesseract had been used to rebuild the Bifrost, Thor wanted nothing more than to see Jane again. But he couldn’t do that until the conflicts in the other realms were taken care of. Thor had managed to eliminate the problem on Vanaheim the day before, and instead of celebrating another victory, he was thinking of Jane. Then the second Bifrost appeared and this whole mess with another Loki kept him occupied.

Strangely enough, Thor hadn’t thought about Jane Foster once in the last twenty-four hours. And for some reason, he didn’t think he would have had Loki not mentioned her. He had been thinking about someone else, instead.

“I do care about Jane. But my feelings for her did not just suddenly awaken when I first saw her. What you were speaking of sounds a lot stronger than the relationship I had with Jane, as short as it was. It almost sounds to me like fate.”

“Maybe.” Loki rubbed at the back of his neck. He froze when he noticed a strange glow coming from the direction of the balcony. “What is that?”

“Oh. The fireflies are doing that.”

“Really? They glow that brightly?”

“No, not really. But a lot of them together would.”

Loki closed the book and got up from the table. He walked onto the balcony and looked down over the railing. Because he had been so preoccupied with the dream he’d had about the balcony, he never noticed the courtyard below. Everywhere he looked, there were blinking green lights.

“There are so many!” Loki didn’t even react when Thor appeared next to him.

“We can go down there if you would like. You’ll be able to see them better.”

“But what if someone sees us?”

“No one is allowed here except the royal family. So, there is only one person we would need to worry about noticing our presence. And if my mother is still keeping him busy, he won’t cause us any trouble.”

“Well, if you’re certain. I wouldn’t mind getting a bit closer.”

Thor removed Mjolnir from his hip and wrapped his other arm around Loki’s waist. Loki held onto Thor’s neck as their feet left the ground. Loki’s lips parted and he watched in awe as the insects created a path for them. Loki’s neck turned in every direction. There were fireflies in the trees, hovering above the ponds and fountains, clinging to the shrubs, and flittering in the air all around them.

Thor’s gaze never strayed from Loki’s childlike expression. After he replaced Mjolnir, he kept his other arm around Loki, since he hadn’t yet been told to remove it. And Loki still hadn’t loosened his grip on Thor’s shoulders.

“When I return to Jotunheim, the only thing I will be sad about is that I will never see fireflies there.”

“Jotunheim?”

“I decided that, when I have found all of my memories, I will live in Jotunheim with my real family. I have no desire to return to a realm that doesn’t want me.”

Thor’s hand on Loki’s waist tensed. He felt a chill when Loki released him and started walking away. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to go after him. But why? What good would that do?

Thor jerked back when a firefly flew in front of his eyes, and he followed its path before he clasped his hands around it. For several seconds, he only stared down at his cupped hands. He then looked over at Loki, who was standing underneath a nearby tree and gazing up at the tiny lights in the branches. Loki didn’t notice him immediately when he stood beside him.

“Have a look.”

Loki wasn’t sure what he meant at first. But then he remembered when Thor had told him about how he and the other Loki would catch the fireflies in their hands and peek inside. He leaned in close to Thor’s clasped hands and looked in the small gap between his thumbs. For a moment, all he could see was darkness. And then the small space lit up bright green. He waited for it to happen again, and then he leaned back with a huge grin on his face.

“I can see why that would have been fun when you were children.” Loki said as Thor opened his hands and the firefly flew into the tree.

“Why don’t you try to catch one?” 

Loki stepped out from under the tree and moved to a more open area. The number of insects flying all around him was making him dizzy. Instead of trying to catch one in passing, he stretched out his arm and waited for one to land on him. As soon as he felt the tickle on his hand, he slowly pulled his arm in towards his body. He watched with rapt attention as the firefly crawled along his fingers and knuckles, and he rotated his wrist to keep track of it.

“Did you catch one?” Loki jumped at Thor’s voice, and the firefly took off. He lost sight of it for a few seconds before he noticed a green blinking light on Thor’s braid. “Sorry I startled you.”

“That’s alright. It landed in your hair,” Loki said and pointed.

Loki reached for the glowing insect just as Thor turned his head in the direction he’d pointed. The firefly flew away and Loki ended up cupping Thor’s cheek. They remained frozen like that, too shocked to move. The pleasant warmth from Thor’s skin flowed into Loki’s fingertips and up his arm. He wanted to keep it locked inside of him this time, to chase away the coldness in his bones. The movement of Thor’s lips caused his facial hair to lightly scratch against Loki’s palm.

“Loki, can you hear me?”

Loki drew back and clutched his hand to his chest, as if to prevent it from misbehaving further. He took a few steps and sat down on the ledge of the fountain.

“I’m sorry. That was so stupid of me.”

“Loki, it’s alright. It was just an accident, it’s not a big deal.” Thor frowned when he sat down beside him and Loki immediately turned his body away and scooted over.

“Yes, it is. It’s… it’s complicated.” 

He was hunched over because he felt sick to his stomach. Loki couldn’t tell him that he and the Thor of his timeline had been in a romantic relationship, for a short time. He would be disgusted. And yet, would that be so bad? Would it not be better if this Thor never wanted to see him again?

“Then help me to understand.” Loki only shook his head.

“How much time do we have left before we need to meet the others?”

“About an hour. Do you want to go back?”

“No. I want to watch the fireflies while I still can. I may never get another chance to see them, since Jotunheim is too cold for them.” Thor let out a quiet sigh and nodded, even though Loki couldn’t see him with his back turned.

“Alright. Whatever makes you happy.”

~*~

For the remaining hour they sat near the fountain, gazing up at the swirling fireflies and the stars. Every so often, Thor would open his mouth to say something, but he would immediately close it again when he noticed Loki’s rigid and closed-off body language. He wanted to tell Loki about the abilities he found in that book that could help him. About Soul Absorption, Soul Empowerment, and the third he came across, Soul Replication. It was the ability to mimic or copy the soul of another, and users gain the powers and strength of their target. Individuals with the power of Soul Replication could even take the place of the original. If Loki learned this power, he could potentially replicate Ymir’s soul, gain his powers, and replace Ymir’s original soul with the copy.

Thor had marked the pages so Loki could read them later, but he wanted to talk to him and hear his voice for just a little while longer. All of his recent conversations with the other Loki had been poisoned by hatred and jealousy. At least Thor know this Loki didn’t despise him. 

As Thor looked up once more at the sky and noted the moon’s position, he acknowledged that it didn’t matter what he wanted. They were out of time.

“Loki, it is twenty minutes before Midnight.”

“Alright.”

Loki stood up stiffly and straightened his clothing. It wasn’t because his outfit was ruffled, but because he needed some kind of distraction. Thor continued to watch him silently. His pulse was pounding in his ears.

‘Just say what you want to say, and damn the consequences. You won’t get another chance.’

“Loki.”

“Yes?” Loki let out a startled yelp when he was spun around and enveloped in a hug.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for. And I hope you will get another chance at happiness.”

Loki, the so-called master wordsmith, had no idea what to say. It was as if his brain had taken a back seat and his consciousness was relying on feeling, alone. His arms came up and he clung to the material of Thor’s cloak. Thor’s grip tightened slightly, but not painfully. He inhaled deeply and breathed in the other man’s scent. It was so much like his Thor’s, but there was the smallest difference. The warmth that was flowing into him through physical contact was making Loki feel lightheaded. Was it possible for a person’s body heat to have the same effects as a drug? He knew he had to pull away before he jeopardized the plan.

When Loki leaned back and lowered his arms, it was as if the fog that had settled over his mind had disappeared. The effect this other Thor’s closeness had on him was concerning. He recalled how he had attempted to distance himself from his Thor, and how a few words or touches changed his mind. But it was never this intense.

‘What are you doing, Loki? You are destined for another. Someone who is going to heal your soul. It doesn’t matter what timeline it is, but Thor has never had healing abilities. Focus on what’s important. Focus on the bigger picture.’ 

Loki pushed lightly against Thor’s chest to break free of his hold and he again fidgeted with his clothing. He kept his gaze downward.

“Thank you. That means a lot.” Disappointment flashed in Thor’s blue eyes at his flat tone, but Loki ignored it.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.” Truth be told, he was ready hours ago.

“Alright. Hold on tight. I am going to fly us through the palace to the meeting place, staying close to the ceiling. We can’t make any sounds because there will be guards on night watch.”

“I understand.” Loki again held onto Thor’s neck, but he turned his head away to avoid breathing in his scent. “Let’s go.”

~*~

Thor and Loki were the first to arrive at the alcove. They were joined by Fandral, Sif and Volstagg within a couple minutes. In hushed voices, they went over the plan once more. And then they waited for the shift change.

At one minute before Midnight, they heard the approaching footsteps of the new guards echoing through the corridor. Thor and Loki held onto each other and listened for the knocking on the door. Thor flew them to the ceiling, just before the door to the Weapons Vault swung open. While the guards were giving their report, they flew inside and over the bridge that led to the vault. Thor landed just outside the vault and opened the door before he closed it behind them. 

Once the old guards had left and were out of sight, Sif and the Warriors Two banged on the door. The new guards were in the process of crossing the bridge to the vault, so it did not take long for them to turn back around and answer. They were subdued and knocked unconscious by Volstagg and Fandral, and Sif tied blindfolds over their eyes before they fled the scene.

“Where is your feather?” Thor asked as they walked briskly down the aisle. He had a feeling he knew where it was, but he wanted to see what would happen if Loki noticed the Tesseract and the Casket of Ancient Winters.

“It seems to be at the far end.” Loki increased his speed to a jog and, to Thor’s relief, ran past the cube without even a glance. But then he skidded to a stop. There was a loud banging sound in the direction they were headed. “What is that?”

“The Destroyer. It is trying to break through the barrier.”

“But I thought the Destroyer was… well, destroyed.”

“How do you—? Never mind, it’s not important. Yes, I did damage it when the other Loki sent it to kill me on Earth. But my father had it repaired.” Thor placed a little pressure on Loki’s back to urge him to keep going. “Recently, it has been awakening on its own, without my father’s command. And it is trying to get out.”

“Because of my feather.”

“It would seem so.” He could feel Loki trembling where his hand rested. “I’m sorry, but if we are going to do this, we need to do it now. We have less than seven minutes before the Convergence ends.”

“I know.” 

They kept going until they were standing before the Destroyer’s cell. On the pedestal, just like in Tom’s movie, was the Casket of Ancient Winters. It looked exactly the same. Loki wondered if the Weapons Vault in the Asgard of his timeline had one just like it, and if he could somehow return the heart of Jotunheim to its people. A particularly loud bang startled Loki.

“Stay back. The barrier is going to break any second, and I need to deflect the Destroyer’s attack. Where is the feather?”

“It’s… Thor, wait! Don’t—!”

The Destroyer broke through the checkered wall and the metal panels on its face opened. A bright orange glow formed inside just before a beam of light was aimed for them. Thor used Mjolnir to deflect the attack, and then he grabbed Loki and flew them back the way they came. Another attack followed, and Thor barely dodged it before crashing to the floor. He quickly got to his feet and drew the Destroyer’s attention while Loki lay sprawled out against one of the pedestals.

He felt like he had been shot through the heart with an icicle. What Loki didn’t have the chance to tell Thor was that his feather was inside the Destroyer’s body. The first attack turned his memory to ashes, if there was anything left. Just like in Muspellheim and in Smaug’s cave, Loki could do nothing but watch as another one of his memories, another piece of his soul, was destroyed by fire.

He sat up and jostled the pedestal behind him. Something landed on his head before tumbling to the floor. It was a bright blue cube about the size of an orange. While Loki was rubbing at his head, he felt like he was about to black out. That small object couldn’t have done that much damage. Loki’s head fell forward, and then he opened his eyes again a few seconds later. Thor was at his side and helped him to stand.

“I managed to force the Destroyer back into its cell and it shut down on its own. Tell me where you saw your feather and I can go back and—”

“It’s gone.” Loki wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck and tucked his face against his shoulder to hide his tears. “Just take me to the Bifrost.”

Thor wanted to ask Loki how he knew the feather was gone, but it didn’t matter. They were running out of time. 

“Alright. Hold on.”

As they flew through the palace, Thor was relieved that no one seemed to have noticed the break-in. When the Observatory came into view, Heimdall was standing at his post, waiting for them. 

“You arrived with just under three minutes to spare,” the Gatekeeper informed them. “And from the appearance, it seems that the realm you will be going to is—”

“My bag!” Loki brought a hand to his lips. “I left my bag in the room! And my books!”

“Alright, I’ll go get them. Stay in here with Heimdall so you don’t get pulled into the realm before I return.” 

Without waiting for a reply, Thor raised Mjolnir and took off again. He landed on the balcony and scrambled to gather the books, which were stacked and spread out on the table. Loki had mentioned his bag had been enchanted with Elvish magic to hold more items. He just hoped that he would be able to fit all fifteen books inside it and make it back in time.

Loki was standing just inside the Observatory, wringing his hands. Heimdall’s blank expression wasn’t helping his nerves.

“How much time is left?”

“Ninety seconds.”

“Thor, please hurry.”

A second later, Loki thought he heard the sound of hooves. After a beat of silence, there was a voice.

“There is no use hiding, Loki. You have been caught.” The All-Father! “Come out willingly or I will drag you out.”

Loki spared a glance at Heimdall, who stood as still as a statue. Knowing he had no choice, he took a deep breath and revealed himself. It wasn’t Odin that he noticed first. It was the eight-legged horse he sat upon. The horse stomped his two front right hooves and threw his head back with a snort.

‘Sleipnir. My son.’ Loki hiccupped and rubbed at his eyes.

“So, you _do_ remember him. An abomination he may be, but he has his uses. Such as being the fastest horse in the Nine Realms.” Loki’s despair was instantly replaced by icy disdain. “Heimdall, restrain him.”

Loki felt the Gatekeeper’s hands lock around his wrists. He tried to break free, but Heimdall would not budge. Odin climbed down from Sleipnir and walked towards them. The end of his staff tapped against the bridge with every step.

“Forty seconds,” Heimdall whispered.

Loki tried to keep his expression neutral. Was Heimdall still helping him?

“Heimdall, make sure you are out of the path of Gungnir’s attack.” The Gatekeeper only nodded and moved his body slightly to the side so that he was not directly behind Loki. “I had hoped to have your execution in the morning, with all of Asgard in attendance. But breaking into the Weapons Vault and attempting to escape has left me with no choice but to finish you off here and now. Return whatever you have stolen from me, and maybe I will make your death quick and painless.”

“I did not steal anything. I went into the vault because my memory feather was there. It was destroyed, so I came here.”

“I don’t believe you. But it matters not. I will just remove the stolen item from your corpse.”

“Transform,” Heimdall whispered. 

What was he saying? If Loki transformed, then he would burn Heimdall’s hands.

“So, you have chosen to be uncooperative,” Odin said with fake regret.

“I am on your side, but I must follow the All-Father’s orders. Fifteen seconds.”

Loki closed his eyes and focused on changing into his Jotun form. He silently apologized when he heard sizzling flesh and Heimdall’s shout.

“Are you alright, Gatekeeper?” Odin asked as he leveled Gungnir at Loki’s heart.

“Yes.” Heimdall was flexing his hands. The burns on his palms and fingers were an angry red.

“It is time for you to die now, Trickster.”

Just as the tip of the spear began to glow, Thor swept Loki’s feet out from underneath him. Loki scrambled to hold on, and his bag was sandwiched in between his and Thor’s torsos. Their speed quickened as the realm began to draw them in. Loki counted down the seconds as the circular, grey-blue opening grew larger and larger above them. 

Three…

Two…

One…

Odin growled and stormed across the bridge to mount Sleipnir. Because the Convergence was over, the realm started to inch its way across the sky.

“All-Father, should we not go after them?” One of the soldiers asked.

“It is too late, now. They are lost to us.” Before he rode away, he turned his one-eyed gaze to the Gatekeeper. “I am sorry you were injured. Is it serious?”

“No, My King. My wounds will heal.”

“That is good to hear. The Bifrost is to remain closed. Since my son chose to turn against me, let us see how he does in enemy territory... without my assistance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is supposed to take place in the summertime, so it doesn't get dark until almost 10:00 at night (at least where I live). That is why the courtyard scene doesn't last very long before Thor and Loki have to head to the Weapons Vault.
> 
> Odin is such a dick for pulling the Sleipnir card.
> 
> Future Loki and the others will be in the next chapter! For future reference, in author's notes I will refer to younger Thor and Loki as Thor 1 and Loki 1. Thor and Loki from The Dark World are Thor 2 and Loki 2.


	12. Kattegat: Wrath Of The Gods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that Loki 2, Thor 1, Sif and TW3 are in this chapter. It should be pretty obvious from the title which fandom we're in, now. (Or you can just read the tags.)

They had not been in the new realm for but a few seconds, and already their clothing was soaked through from the pouring rain. Lightning flashed and created a crack in the sky. Loki wrapped his arms tight around himself and seethed. He had been so relieved to be out of that prison cell, but now his moment of triumph was ruined.

“Seriously, Thor?” He snarled, an automatic reflex. 

“Why do you always assume it’s _my_ fault?” Loki gave him a look. “It was already raining before we got here. I’m not doing this.”

“Well, can’t you at least do something to turn it off?”

“Shh!” Sif hissed. “I hear someone coming.”

“We need to find a place to hide.” No sooner had they started to move did a pained groan stop them in their tracks. “Hogun, what is wrong?”

“My leg.” The Vanir was being supported by Fandral and Volstagg on either side. He tried to put some weight on it, but he immediately grimaced. 

“Thor, I think his leg is broken,” Fandral said. 

“Hogun, I thought you said the injury wasn’t serious,” Thor said testily.

“It wasn’t. But perhaps using the Bifrost made it worse,” Hogun suggested.

Now, the voices were getting louder. It was too late for them to hide, even if Hogun’s leg hadn’t been injured.

“I told you, just as I told Rollo. The gods are angry that he was baptized and turned to that Christian god. First, Freyr took the life of your unborn son. Now, Þórr is striking his anvil in his anger.”

“I don’t know why the gods took my son. I did not get any answers in Uppsala. But remember, Floki, that you also believed Þórr was angry when we sailed west for the first time.”

“Did he just say ‘Loki?’” Sif whispered. “And they mentioned ‘Þórr.’”

“I’m not sure. It is hard to tell with this rain,” Thor whispered back.

“Yes, but then I realized my mistake, and that Þórr was pleased with our raid. This time, the gods have nothing to be pleased about. They plan to punish you for your brother’s actions.” There was a pause before the man started speaking again. “Ragnar, you know why Rollo did that, don’t you? He was rebelling against you, because he knew you would not have allowed him to do it.”

“My brother will _never_ betray me, Floki,” the other man, Ragnar, snapped. “Enough of this. I want to find the source of that bright light. I think it may have been a sign from the gods.”

“They saw the Bifrost,” Volstagg said.

“Loki, Sif, Fandral, quick. Help me cover up the markings,” Thor said as he started scraping mud over the glowing symbols. 

Fandral removed Hogun’s arm from his shoulders and came over to help, grumbling the whole time as he became even more coated with mud. Just as the last of the circle was hidden, two shapes appeared in the darkness. Even with the downpour, it was easy to hear the sound of a weapon being drawn. 

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The man with the calmer voice questioned.

“Our friend is injured. His leg is broken,” Thor answered.

“You answered the second question, but not the first,” the other man said tauntingly.

Since they had mentioned Þórr and Freyr, he knew that it would not be safe for them to use their real names. Thor tried to remember what Loki had said when they were sent to that other Asgard.

“We are travelers. I am Chris from… Australia.” 

“Never heard of it. Are you sure that is a real place?” The man with the strange voice asked.

“Of course, it’s a real place.” He knew it was because the real Chris was born there. “We just want to get help for my friend.”

“And get out of this damned rain,” Loki grumbled.

“Before I decide whether to help you or not, answer one last question,” Ragnar began. “Did you see a bright light come down from the sky?”

“No.” Thor said a bit hastily. “The only lights we have seen have been from the storm.”

“Are you sure? Because it seemed to have come from right… here,” Floki stated. Thor was about to answer, but Loki beat him to it.

“We saw nothing. Are you going to help us, or should we look elsewhere for basic manners?”

“You are correct. Forgive our rudeness,” Ragnar replied. “We will take you to our village.”

After they reached the village, they were led to a large residence. They were given dry clothing and Hogun’s leg was bound and splinted. Thor removed Mjolnir and tucked it into his bag. He hoped that they wouldn’t have to fight any trolls or ogres, this time. Ragnar, who turned out to be the earl, invited them to join him at his table. The other man’s role was unclear, but his voice fit well with his peculiar appearance. Especially his eyes that seemed to notice everything.

“Thank you for helping my friend and for your hospitality,” Thor said for the group.

“It was the right thing to do,” Ragnar replied before he drank from his horn. His blue eyes watched them with suspicion, nonetheless. “I am Ragnar Lothbrok, earl of Kattegat. This is my wife, Lagertha. My son, Bjorn. And my daughter, Gyda.” At the end of the low table came the sound of a throat being cleared. “And this is Floki.”

“I am Chris, and these are my friends, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Jaimie, and Tom.”

Loki’s brow furrowed for a second, but he quickly relaxed his features. Why had Thor used different names for only some of them? And why did they need to use aliases in the first place? These Midgardians knew of the Aesir, even seemed to worship them as their gods. He was surprised that Thor hadn’t just told them who they really were. Then, the mortals would bow down before them and pay homage to them. As they should. But something needled him in the back of his mind. Something that Odin had said, when he was brought to him in chains.

_“We are not gods. We are born, we live, we die… just as humans do.”_

‘Tch. Why should I believe anything he says? He lied to me my entire life, so why would he suddenly change?’ As he angrily sipped at his ale, he wondered if the other Loki that had appeared in his cell was still in there, being punished for a crime he didn’t commit. ‘Why do I care? That’s not my problem anymore. If all goes well, they’ll never know the difference. And no one will come looking for me.’ 

After the introductions were out of the way, the noise level grew significantly. As did the drinking. In no time at all, Fandral had a woman on both arms. Every other word from his lips elicited a giggle, and the noise was giving Loki a headache. It certainly didn’t help that Thor kept trying to start a conversation with him every five seconds.

“Can you sense a feather here?” Thor asked in an uncharacteristically hushed voice, although it was unnecessary because of the noise. 

“No, Thor. I do not sense a feather here.” Whatever the Hel that meant.

“Well, even if there was a feather here, it wouldn’t matter. We can’t leave until Hogun’s leg is healed,” Thor said with a sigh. “It’s too bad you don’t have your magic anymore, or else we could have moved on.”

Loki stayed silent. He wondered what he meant by that. The other Loki, the one he was impersonating, had somehow lost his magic. What could have caused this, and was it permanent? For once, Loki was relieved that Thor had kept talking, because he would have blown his cover by using magic. But that relief was short-lived and now he wanted the oaf to shut his mouth. This was why he never attended feasts on Asgard. Too many loud, annoying, drunk people.

Because of how they were sitting, Loki was sandwiched in between Thor and Hogun. Loki noticed that Thor kept scooting the tiniest bit closer to him, and Loki had finally run out of room to get away from him. It wasn’t as if he could ask Hogun to move down, being injured and all. Every time Loki noticed any physical contact between him and Thor, it made bile rise in his throat. He had to try his best not to take his knife and stab it through Thor’s hand.

Loki found that he could no longer stand being in the room when some girl kept trying to pour more ale in his cup and was using that as an excuse to shove her bosom in his face. After attempting to get rid of her three different times, Loki suddenly rose from his seat. The girl was caught off-guard, not to mention a little drunk, so he gripped her shoulders and lightly shoved her in Thor’s direction.

“Lo—!” The girl cut off Thor’s remark when she kissed him on the mouth. She dropped the jar of ale on the floor and wrapped her arms and legs around Thor’s body. Sif was sitting across from them red-faced, looking as if she was about to combust. Thor finally managed to pry her mouth off and turned his head in the direction Loki had gone. “Where are you going?”

“I need air,” was all he said before he left the hall.

“A little help,” Thor said, just in time to avoid having a tongue shoved down his throat. 

Sif got up from the table and practically dragged the girl off of him. When he had been liberated from his assailant, Sif grabbed Thor’s sleeve before he could follow Loki.

“Don’t go after him. Please.” Sif wanted to keep the desperation out of her voice, but she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Just… leave him be.” Thor surprised her when he nodded and sat down heavily.

“I’ll give him a few minutes. But I want to make sure he’s not in any danger. We are in a strange place, surrounded by people who could be a threat. And we can’t fight like we normally do without giving away our identities.”

Sif only nodded. She was glad that he listened to her, but she wasn’t that naïve. If she hadn’t walked in and saw them lying together in the other Asgard, then she would have believed him. Thor didn’t want to follow Loki because of potential enemies. It was because, after he found the memory about Sleipnir, Thor hoped to try to win back Loki’s affections. It wasn’t fair. Why was Thor looking to someone he had seen as a brother until recently, someone who had said and done cruel things to him, when she had been nothing but loyal? She had always been there, had gone wherever Thor was going, had followed his every command, and she’d never done anything to betray his trust. And yet, Thor never truly saw her. Not in the way she wanted him to.

~*~

When Loki stepped outside, he was relieved that it had stopped raining. But the mud beneath his boots was a deep, thick sludge. He took a few cautious steps away from the main doors and walked along the outside of the building. Without the barrage of noise, the stifling heat from many bodies pressed close together in one room, and the smells of ale and sex, Loki no longer felt like he was drowning. He closed his eyes and breathed in the cool night air. It was so quiet and calm. And then his eyes opened a sliver when he heard trickling a couple feet away, the tell-tale sound of someone relieving their bladder.

“Did you come out here to take a piss, too?” Loki let out a sigh of annoyance.

“No. I came out here for some peace and quiet.” He heard the shifting of clothing as the man tucked himself back in his britches. 

“You do not like my brother’s feast?”

“I do not care for feasts, no matter who the host is.” Loki glanced at the man when he snorted at his comment. He was very tall with a large, wide torso and shoulders. His dark hair was tied behind his head. There were several long, jagged scars on his face that looked fairly recent. “You are Ragnar Lothbrok’s brother?”

“Yes. My name is Rollo.”

Loki had remembered that name being mentioned by Floki when they first arrived in this realm and overheard his and Ragnar's conversation. He had said something about angering the gods for being baptized as a Christian.

“Hmm. I do not remember Earl Ragnar introducing you at the feast with the rest of his family.” Loki was quiet for a few seconds. “Oh yes, that is because you were late.” Rollo spat.

“I don’t need you to lecture me, because I don’t care.”

“Someone’s bitter,” Loki said under his breath, but Rollo heard him.

“And what would someone from… _Australia_ know about our ways?”

“I am _not_ from Australia.” Loki hoped the venom in his voice would be enough to convince the mortal to drop it. He was wrong.

“Then where are you from?”

“Nowhere.”

“Everyone has somewhere they call home.”

“Well, I don’t!” Rollo’s eyes widened a fraction. Loki crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t need any of those things. Home. Family. Brotherhood. What a joke.”

“Finally, someone gets it,” Rollo said with a mirthless chuckle. “I am still trapped in my brother’s shadow. He receives all of the praise, the glory, the respect. Everyone speaks of _his_ exploits. I am as great a warrior as Ragnar. I have fought in as many battles as he has. I sailed west with him, too. But no one knows my name.”

“Older brothers…” Loki didn’t know if the man was pouring his feelings out because he was drunk and Loki just happened to be standing there, or if it really was because they were so alike. “My only regret has been that it took me this long to realize that nothing I ever did would be enough to earn my family’s or anyone’s approval. So, I decided that I would no longer allow myself to be held back by the illusion of family. It is nothing but a lie, used to control. And when you are no longer of value, your family casts you out as if you are nothing.”

The whole time Loki was speaking, his hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides. His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms, and blood dripped and mingled with the mud and rainwater. Rollo drank out of the cup in his hand and pulled is dick out again. Loki scowled at him and turned to leave.

“Tired of my company already?”

“It’s the smell. Try not to drown us all in your piss.”

When Loki re-entered the hall, he saw that the girl that tried to suffocate him with her breasts had moved on to another drunken man. He pointedly ignored Thor’s gaze as he approached their table.

“Have we been provided with rooms, yet? Because if we are sharing, I want to be in the same room as Hogun.” Everyone looked at Loki as if he’d grown three heads.

“But why, Lo—I mean Tom?” Thor asked in disappointment.

“Because he’s the only one who knows when to keep his mouth shut.” Floki, who was sitting at the next table, let out a high-pitched cackle.

“I like this Tom fellow. He is _quite_ amusing,” Floki said to the blonde woman beside him. “What do you think, Helga?”

“I think he must be special if you find him amusing.” Floki cackled again and brought a twitchy hand to his lips.

‘If only you knew. Perhaps I should show you just how _special_ I am.’

~*~

Lagertha showed them to the rooms they would be staying in, since Ragnar was “busy” discussing the trip to Götaland he had been assigned by King Horik. Sif would be sharing a room with Siggy, the widow of the previous earl who Ragnar defeated in single combat, and her daughter, Thyri. Fandral, Volstagg, and Thor were to stay in Bjorn’s room, while Bjorn temporarily moved into his sister’s room. Hogun and Loki were to stay with Athelstan, the Christian monk Ragnar had captured and brought back as a slave from a monastery in England. In case Hogun’s injury caused him pain or worsened in any way, Athelstan would be able to care for him. 

Thor tried on several occasions to speak to Loki, and he was rebuffed every time. Each verbal rejection felt like a knife to the chest. The two of them had not had a moment to properly speak since they left Amora’s home. He wanted to explain himself, tell Loki why he stopped him from saving Sleipnir. But he worried that, the more time that passed, the harder it would be for him to be able to fix this growing rift between them. Thor didn’t know what he would do if Loki followed through with his promise to live in Jotunheim and cut off all ties to his previous life in Asgard.

That wasn’t the only reason Thor was desperate to speak to Loki. There was also the matter about the man Loki was supposedly destined to spend his life with. His very existence was an ominous dark cloud that loomed over their heads, and yet nothing was known about him. Thor’s deepest wish was to find out the identity of this man so he could eliminate him from the picture before Loki had the chance to meet him. 

Was Thor starting to go mad because of his obsession to keep Loki at his side? Probably. Did he care? Not in the slightest. Thor was the one who knew Loki’s past, had watched over him from the time he was a helpless infant until he had grown into a man. He was not going to hand him over to some stranger who had not been involved in any part of Loki’s life just because the Fates chose to bind them to each other. Whoever this person was, Thor hoped, for his sake, that he was strong. Because he was not going to give Loki up without a fight.

~*~

After Loki turned Thor away for the third, and hopefully final time, all he wanted to do was sleep and nurse his migraine. Unfortunately, sleep would allude him because Athelstan thought it would be a good idea to offer his emotional support.

“If you need someone to talk to, I am willing to listen.” Loki opened his eyes and sat up, sending a glare in the priest’s direction.

“I purposely chose to share a room with Hogun because he never speaks. You would be wise to follow his example.” 

He laid back down and ignored the pained expression on the other man’s face. Loki closed his eyes, but his ears remained alert and vigilant. He listened for every movement the room’s other occupants made, as well as the rate of their breathing. He also made sure to keep his own breathing even, just in case the warrior was pretending to be asleep, as well. 

Truth be told, there was another reason why he picked Hogun. But before he could get to that, he needed to wait for both men to fall asleep. 

After about an hour, Loki could hear quiet snoring on either side of him. Slowly and carefully, not to awaken Hogun, he crawled to where the priest was asleep. Just as he lifted his hand towards the priest’s mouth, Athelstan’s eyes blinked open. It took a few seconds for him to realize who was kneeling over him.

“What are you…?” Loki’s hand moved to cover his eyes.

“You are only dreaming, priest. Now, close your eyes, and you will forget all of this in the morning.” After he felt Athelstan’s eyelashes brush against his palm, Loki moved his hand down to his mouth. A pale green glow surrounded his fingers, and then a small light rose from Athelstan’s throat before it entered Loki’s mouth. When Loki spoke again, his voice had changed. “I am just going to borrow this for a moment. You can have it back when I am finished gathering the information I need.”

When Loki had stated that he wanted to share a room with Hogun because of his quiet nature, that was only half of the truth. The main reason, which came to him after Thor had mentioned losing his magic, was because Hogun would not be able to put up much of a fight while Loki was getting answers out of him.

A green shimmering glow, similar to the one that surrounded his hand, spread up his entire body as he changed his appearance. Even though he looked like Athelstan, he still would have sounded like himself had he not taken the priest’s voice. Usually, Loki was able to mimic appearances and voices easily. But that was because he was impersonating people he knew well, so he was familiar with their mannerisms and vocal tone. Because Athelstan was a stranger, he needed to temporarily take away the man’s voice.

After leaving a doppelganger in his sleeping area, to make it appear that he was still there, Loki moved until he was seated beside the Vanir. He conjured a candle and ignited it, and Hogun’s brow furrowed at the change in lighting. His dark eyes moved to what appeared to be Athelstan's face, but they were still a bit unfocused.

“What are you doing?”

“Forgive me. You were groaning in your sleep, as if in pain. I came to have a look at your injury.” Lagertha had ordered Athelstan to take care of their wounded guest should he have need of it. “Your name is Hogun, yes?”

“Yes. I did not realize…” 

While Loki was cradling Hogun’s injured leg, he was sending tiny bursts of magic into the bones, creating a throbbing sensation from the inside. The response was immediate as Hogun grimaced. The warrior tried to sit up, but Loki lightly pushed him down.

“If you try to move too much, you could make your injury worse. I am only trying to help.” Hogun still looked suspicious, but that was to be expected. With a stiff nod, Hogun laid back down and stared tensely at the ceiling. “How did it happen?”

“A rockslide. My leg was pinned.”

“Then you were very fortunate that only your leg was injured. Perhaps someone was looking out for you.” Now, Loki was using his magic to numb Hogun’s mind and draw him into a mental state that was in the middle between sleep and wakefulness. “Where were you traveling to before you came here?”

“We… don’t know,” Hogun murmured after several seconds.

“Were you lost?” Loki pushed more magic into him when Hogun showed signs of resistance.

“No. We cannot control… where we are sent.”

Now, that was interesting. Loki knew they were using the Bifrost to travel from place to place, which was something they did all the time. But for some reason, the places Heimdall was sending them were completely random.

“What is the reason for your journey?” He knew they were looking for feathers of some kind, but he couldn’t ask Hogun if they were searching for something. At least, not yet.

“Looking for…” Loki added more magic again. 

“Looking for what?”

“Feathers.”

“Animal feathers?”

“No…” Hogun’s breathing was starting to become labored. He was stronger than Loki had originally thought. 

“I think I may have found the source of your pain and discomfort. Your leg was not wrapped properly. It should not take but a moment.” Maybe returning the conversation back to the original topic would distract him. Loki put pressure and acted like he was adjusting the bandages, but he was also lessening the pain he was inflicting on the limb. “Why are the feathers so important?”

“Memories.” 

‘Now, we’re getting somewhere,’ Loki thought.

“Whose memories?”

“Loki’s.”

“You mean the god?” Loki had to remind himself that he was impersonating a Christian monk. But things were just starting to get interesting, and he wanted to know more. “How did he lose his memories?”

“Elvish magic… ruins…”

‘Some kind of curse, perhaps?’

“How many of his memories were lost?”

“All.”

“And was his magic also taken away?”

“Forgotten…”

So, the Loki he traded places with didn’t _lose_ his magic, as Thor had worded it. Instead, it seemed that he still had it, but he had not remembered how to use it, yet.

“Have you been able to find any memories?”

“Yes. Twelve found… two destroyed.”

“Ten were returned to Loki?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you find the feathers?”

“Yggdrasil. Other realms. Other times.” 

That explained why they had appeared in the Asgard he’d come from. They were not only traveling to different realms, but also multiple timelines.

“How do you find the feathers?”

“Loki senses them…” Now, he understood why the others had asked him if he felt a feather. “Cause disasters until found…”

“What do they look like?”

“Blue glow.”

“What do you do when they are found?”

“Place them on Loki’s chest… they return to his heart.”

“What has Loki remembered?”

“Don’t know. He did not tell us about all of them.”

“Which ones did he tell you about?”

“Jotun heritage… and Sleipnir taken away...”

Loki clenched his hand into a tight fist. Of course, the memories would involve the two greatest humiliations of his life. Learning that he was adopted and the unwanted son of Laufey was what started this destructive path in the first place. But before that happened, Loki had been unable to do anything when Sleipnir had been ripped from his arms. And Odin loved to remind him of it, every time he sat his royal posterior upon the horse’s back. In his anger, Loki had transferred some of those pained and hateful emotions into Hogun, and the man let out a hiss. Loki opened his hand again and replaced those pulses of magic with warmth and healing. Hogun breathed out a sigh.

“There, your leg should not be giving you trouble anymore.”

“Thank you…” 

Once he was certain that Hogun had fallen asleep, Loki moved to Athelstan’s side and returned his voice. He dispelled the doppelganger and crawled under the blankets before removing the disguise. As he listened to the two men’s breathing, Loki stared up at the ceiling.

Even though he had learned quite a bit, there were still questions he needed answered. But Loki had a feeling that he was not going to get them from Hogun. Instead, the only person who was likely to know anything was the last person he wanted to speak to. But that could wait a little longer. They would be here for quite a while.

Unfortunately, Loki was not completely free, yet. If he was going to pass as the other Loki without rousing any suspicion, he couldn’t just wander off and vanish right now. Unlike Asgard, where he had a hidden way to travel to other worlds, there was nothing like that here, as far as he knew. The only way he could leave was by using the Bifrost. And he was still under the watchful gaze of Heimdall. If he suddenly disappeared, they could ask the Heimdall of their world where he had gone and follow him there.

No, if he was going to disappear without a trace, he needed to form a foolproof plan. He also needed to wait for the perfect opportunity to execute that plan. There could be no mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place after Vikings season 1 episode 8, "Sacrifice." Also, Australia wasn't actually called Australia in the 700's. So, obviously Floki wouldn't have heard of it.
> 
> So, our boy Thor is kinda starting to go a bit dark. If you want to connect it to Tsubasa, it's probably the part in Tokyo Revelations where the original Syaoran breaks free of Fei-Wang's prison and the Syaoran clone goes psycho on everyone. But Thor's not going to be eating anybody's eyeballs. Because ew.


	13. Kattegat: Not All Is As It Seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING FOR ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT. Also, please comment, y'all. I'm really not asking much. I just have no idea if any of my ideas are good since no one is leaving feedback.

They had spent a week in the village, so far. Each member of the group found different ways to pass the time. Fandral flirted with every woman in the village… twice. Volstagg used the gold coins from Smaug’s cave to buy food and trinkets to bring home to his children. Hogun’s leg was healing, and he was frequently checked on by either Lagertha and Gyda, Athelstan, or Siggy and Thyri. By now, he was able to stand, with assistance, and take short walks around Athelstan’s room. On multiple occasions, comments were made about how fast his leg was healing. Hogun, always a man of few words, suggested that people healed faster where he came from. That was certainly true. The Vanir did heal faster than Midgardians, as did Asgardians.

Thor had been invited on several occasions to hunt or fish with some of the men, or to do some sparring while his friend was healing. Completely out of character, Thor declined. One reason was because he didn’t want a repeat of what happened with the ogres when they visited that other Asgard. He doubted there were actually any ogres on Midgard, but one could never be too careful. However, the main reason why he declined all of their offers to prevent him from being bored was because Thor wanted nothing more than to talk to Loki alone. And yet, it quickly became apparent that the male in question was avoiding him. The village really wasn’t that large, but Loki had still managed to hide from Thor no matter where he looked. Even when he asked some of the villagers if they had seen him, they either could not help him or the information they gave him turned up nothing.

Just as Loki was avoiding Thor, Thor seemed to be avoiding Sif. She was doing other things to keep busy, though. She often helped Hogun when he wanted to get a little exercise, and she found herself spending time with Lagertha. After her son, Bjorn, mentioned that Lagertha was a famous shieldmaiden before she had him and Gyda, Sif found some similarities to the earl’s wife and was curious to hear of her skills in battle. 

Lagertha explained that she still went on raids with Ragnar whenever she could, but that happened less frequently because she had been taking care of their farm and the children. She did accompany Ragnar the second time they sailed west, and Athelstan remained and watched over the children and the farm, but that was before they had lost everything.

Before Ragnar became the earl of Kattegat, Earl Haraldson had a personal grudge against her husband for defying his orders and for trying to steal his glory by winning over the hearts of the people. It had been too risky to sail west with Ragnar when they were surrounded by enemies at home, and so Lagertha stayed behind. 

Ragnar’s challenge for Haraldson’s title arose after the earl burned down their farm and killed many of the people who worked on the land, as well as captured and tortured Ragnar’s brother, Rollo. Rollo had been left with permanent scars after Haraldson used a knife to slice open his face. Ragnar had been severely wounded in the attack, and he would have died had it not been for Floki and Helga. He was still recovering from his wounds when he defeated Haraldson in single combat. Lagertha said that the gods were smiling down on their family, that day. And then her expression turned somber.

Sif noticed that sometimes, when Lagertha spoke of Ragnar, she looked sad. She wanted to ask her what was wrong, but Sif was a stranger. It was none of her business. And yet, she felt a connection to Lagertha and wanted to offer her support in any way she could.

“Forgive me if I am overstepping any boundaries, since we are strangers… but you seem unhappy when you talk about your husband,” Sif said after Bjorn and Gyda had gone to bed. Lagertha hmm’ed and her lips formed a thin line.

“Ragnar and I have always had our differences, but what marriage does not have disagreements?” She lowered her arm and pressed a hand to her stomach. “The Seer told Ragnar that he would have many sons.”

“The Seer?” Sif grimaced immediately after interrupting.

“He knows the future by speaking to the gods and interpreting the signs sent by the gods. His predictions have all been true.” Sif nodded for her to go on. “I was carrying Ragnar’s child… but I lost him. Both Ragnar and I have asked the gods why they took away my son. They have not answered. And I feel that Ragnar blames me, somehow.”

“I am so sorry for your loss.”

“Do you have children?” Sif shook her head. “Are you married?”

Sif remembered when they’d visited the other Asgard and learned that the Þórr and Sif of their world were married. Her heart had been crushed. And then to later find Thor and Loki lying together. It was absolutely humiliating.

“No, I’m not married. And I don’t expect I ever will be. At least… not to the person I want.” Lagertha reached across the table and laid a hand over Sif’s. 

“You know, while you are staying in Kattegat, you could visit the Seer. You could ask him what destiny the gods have chosen for you.” Sif nodded with a thin smile.

“I will think about it. Thank you for listening.”

“It is easier to share your innermost thoughts when it is with someone who has gone through it, themselves.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Both women looked up when a servant entered the room and bowed.

“The injured man, Hogun, has asked for Lady Jaimie.”

“I am sure he wants to go for a short walk. Please, excuse me.” Sif rose from the table and followed the servant from the hall. After she arrived at Athelstan’s room, the servant left and Sif knocked on the door. “It’s me, Hogun.”

A few seconds passed before Athelstan opened the door and let her inside. She noticed as she made her way towards her friend that Loki was already asleep. Athelstan sat down on his sleeping area and pulled out what appeared to be some sort of jewelry. It was a chain that he wrapped around his hand with a cross on the end. Athelstan had his back turned towards them and he was mumbling under his breath. Hogun was sitting upright and had already pushed the furs away. There was a chair placed nearby that he used to help pull himself up.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” Sif held onto Hogun’s other arm while he pressed on the chair. “Was the priest unable to help you, this time?”

“He offered, but I wanted you to do it.” The first part he said loud enough for Athelstan to hear. What he said next was hushed and for Sif’s ears only. “I need to tell you something. Can we speak outside?”

“Sure.” 

Sif walked on Hogun’s stronger side while he used a borrowed wooden staff to help keep his injured leg elevated. As they entered the hall, Sif saw that Lagertha was no longer seated at the table. They continued through the hall and walked out into the cool night air. Sif waited for Hogun to catch his breath before she addressed him.

“What was it that you wanted to tell me?”

“I suspect that there is something off about Loki,” Hogun whispered.

“How so?” She whispered back. Although she found it strange that they were using hushed voices, since they were the only two people out there, she assumed that Hogun was doing it for a reason.

“The first night we spent here, I had an unusual dream. It was so realistic, that I even felt the pain in my leg. The priest was beside me, fixing the wrappings on my leg.”

“What’s so unusual about that?”

“He said I had been groaning in my sleep, but that is a strange thing for someone to say in a dream, is it not?” Sif nodded. “He then began asking me questions about our journey. I remember feeling very light-headed, as if I had been drugged.”

“Do you think this priest knows magic?” Hogun shook his head.

“I do not believe the priest was there, at all. I think it was Loki in disguise.” Sif looked uncomfortable.

“But… he said he has not regained any of his magic.”

“So he claims. But we only know about two of the memories he has found. One had to have been related to his birth, since he somehow learned that he was a Frost Giant. And the other was the one he found when we visited that woman Amora… when Sleipnir was taken from him.”

“What else do you remember?”

“In my clouded state, I revealed that we were searching for feathers. He asked me questions about their significance, what they looked like, where we found them. And he asked which of Loki’s memories we had found.”

“He said ‘Loki’?” Hogun nodded.

“I told him that the feathers belonged to Loki, and he asked if I meant the god. But he is a priest of a religion that worships a different god. Would he not question how a god can lose his memories? Although he did ask how the memories were lost, I feel that he believed what I was saying a little too easily.”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“He asked where we found the feathers, and I told him that they were scattered in Yggdrasil, other realms and other times. He did not question it. He did not ask how we were able to travel to other worlds. And when I told him that we found memories of Loki’s Jotun heritage and Sleipnir, he did not ask any questions. As if he already knew of Loki's true origins and who Sleipnir was.”

“I see. Was there anything else?”

“No. He told me that he was finished re-wrapping my leg and that was all. When I woke up the next morning, I saw that the bandages looked exactly the same as they had when they were wrapped the first time. One of the times that the priest came to check on me, I thanked him for fixing the bandages so that I would not be in pain. He said that he’d never done that, and as far as he was aware, no one had touched my bandages except to replace them with clean ones.”

“That isn’t good.” Sif crossed her arms and leaned back against the outside of the building. “So, it seems that Loki has remembered some of his magic.”

“I do not believe that is the case.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am no expert, but magic is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Even if Loki regained a memory where he was casting a spell, he would not automatically remember how he did it. He would have to learn the skill all over again. I have never once seen him attempting to do that.”

“That’s true. So, what do you think could be the explanation?”

“What realm were we in before we came here?” Sif’s eyes widened when she saw what Hogun was getting at. “Loki never did tell us how he was able to escape from the palace without getting caught. Without knowing the layout of the palace, without being able to use magic to hide or disguise himself, that should not have been possible.”

“If the Loki that is here with us now is not our Loki, then that must mean… he is still in the other Asgard. We have to tell Thor.”

“Wait.”

“Wait? What for?”

“This Loki has not lost any of his memories or his magic. If we tell Thor that he is an imposter, Thor will immediately confront him. Loki would then disappear, and we’d never get any information out of him.”

“What information?”

“For one, what he did, if anything, to the other Loki. Surely, he had a reason to switch places with our Loki. I don’t think it happened by accident.”

“Then what should we do? What if he is dangerous?”

“Right now, all we can do is act as if everything is normal. Until my leg is healed, I’m of no use to anyone. But I can keep an eye on him, since we are sharing a room. And you can find out what he’s up to when he wanders around the village. We just have to wait for the right moment to strike all at once.”

Sif wasn’t sure if she could do that. Although she was nowhere near as impulsive as Thor, she was not the most patient person. On the bright side, since Thor was also following Loki, maybe she would be able to speak to Thor. Not about what Hogun told her, but about something else. Anything to draw Thor’s gaze away from Loki.

“Alright. I won’t say a word. I’m not happy about keeping this from Thor or Fandral or Volstagg, but you are right. It is too risky to do anything, now.” Hogun nodded, seeming relieved that she was in agreement. “We should get you back to bed.”

After Sif and Hogun returned to the room, she helped him lie down and drew the furs over him. Loki appeared to have not moved since they left, and Athelstan had also fallen asleep. She went down the hall to the room she shared with Siggy and Thyri, but instead of falling asleep, she was wide awake.

What reason did this other Loki have to impersonate the one they knew? Was he running away from something? And because his memories were all intact, did he intend to hurt them? All of these questions bouncing around in her head and the guilt of having to keep this information a secret from her friends would keep her awake for hours. 

~*~

Loki awakened before sunrise and changed out of the clothes that had been lent to him by the earl’s family. He wore his usual outfit and altered it to appear as it did when he was younger. He then silently crept out of the room and headed towards the village. Loki had heard that Earl Ragnar and his men would be leaving for their diplomatic assignment sometime late morning, and Loki wanted to blend in with the group before he disappeared completely. 

He knew his days were numbered. Last night, he’d left a doppelganger in his sleeping area before he turned himself into a mouse and followed Hogun and Sif outside. There must have been some truth to the saying that the quiet ones are the most dangerous.

And Loki didn’t think he could deal with Thor’s stalking for much longer. On the occasions that he was unable to slip away or disguise himself, Loki had pretended to be asleep whenever Thor had come to the priest’s room and asked to speak with him. Whatever the oaf had to say was probably important, since he was being so persistent, but it was unlikely that Loki would have any knowledge about it. Besides, he wanted nothing more than to disappear and never have to see any of the Asgardians ever again. 

Another reason why he hoped to get away was because it was only a matter of time before it was discovered that the Loki in the dungeons was not the same person who had originally been imprisoned there. Soon, Odin would send Thor to find him and bring him back. Loki couldn’t afford to stay in one realm for very long. However, because they had used a different Bifrost and a different Heimdall to get here, then maybe there was a chance that the other Thor would not be able to track him. He wondered if that was also the case for a certain Mad Titan.

As he weaved through various dirt alleyways and in between wooden homes and stalls, the village came alive with sounds and smells. Even before the sun had appeared on the horizon, local artisans and farmers were already trying to sell their goods to any early risers who were out and about. 

He wondered if he should buy some food to take with him, since he didn’t know when or where he would get his next meal. He didn’t have any money, and he doubted that Volstagg would have parted with any of his gold coins if he’d asked. All he needed to do was catch a glimpse of the coins used by others to make purchases and he could create duplicates. The spell would wear off eventually, but he would be gone, by then. However, before he was able to make a decision, someone collided with his right arm. Loki immediately noticed an oppressive smell of ale.

“ _You_ again?” Loki growled out as soon as he recognized a very drunk Rollo. The two of them had run into each other several times in the past few days. Almost every time, Rollo was either drunk, hung over, or looked like he’d just had a good lay. He wondered dubiously if the reason why Rollo was overshadowed by his brother was because he chose to drink and fuck instead of doing something worth remembering, and it had nothing at all to do with Ragnar Lothbrok. “Aren’t you supposed to be leaving in a few hours?”

“Yeah, what of it?”

“You mean besides the fact that you reek and you can barely stand up straight?”

“You’re just like Siggy, always nagging me,” he said with a bitter chuckle. “It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“You’re right. It’s none of my business. But _you_ were the one who was complaining about how Ragnar gets all of the glory.”

“You were complaining, too.”

“Yes, but I don’t get drunk and sleep around and make an ass of myself. I actually do something to change people’s minds so that they know who I am. I still am not lauded like my brother, but being feared is better than being forgotten.”

Rollo stared at him for a few seconds, and his facial expression changed from one of bitter resentment to serious contemplation. Standing so close to each other, Loki was able to see the scars on his face in greater detail. He had fought many times, alongside Thor and against him, and his weapons of choice were his magic and a pair of daggers. Loki had seen knife wounds before, and he had slashed the faces of his enemies. The cuts on Rollo’s face were not shaped as if they had been sustained in battle, while Rollo was fighting. Instead, they appeared to have been made while Rollo was lying still.

“You are staring at my scars.”

“Not in the way you think.”

“In what way, then?”

“The person who inflicted those wounds on you did so while you were held down.” Rollo’s eyes widened a fraction. “Let’s just say that I know how to recognize the scars of a tortured man.”

“Have you been through it?” A dark shadow passed over Loki’s face.

“Yes. And it was on more than just my face.”

“And yet I see no scars.”

“That is because I know how to hide them. I can do the same for you, if you want.” 

“Why?” Rollo narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“You seem to be ashamed of them, and it bothers you when others stare at them. If someone offered to make them disappear, would you not take them up on their offer?” Loki crossed his arms and shrugged. “And… even though you are _quite_ unpleasant to be around… I think we understand each other to some extent. More than anyone else, at least.”

“So, how does it work?”

“Just a little bit of magic and they’ll be gone, as if they had never been there.”

“People will wonder what happened. Scars do not just vanish overnight.”

“Healing magic exists in this world, does it not?” 

Rollo didn’t respond for a while, and instead appeared to be weighing his options. He then nodded once.

“People will continue to question every little thing I do, anyway, so why not? What more have I got to lose?”

‘Plenty,’ Loki thought as he uncrossed his arms and lifted both hands to Rollo’s cheeks. 

Just before the magic began to flow through his fingers, he noticed Rollo’s eyes shift towards something nearby. Loki lowered his arms to his sides and turned around. He fought the urge to roll his eyes when he saw that Thor was watching them. The blond was glaring daggers at Rollo, for some reason. What reason could the idiot possibly have to feel jealous?

“Typical,” Loki muttered.

“Friend of yours?”

“Hardly.” 

“Ah. This must be that irritating older brother,” Rollo said a little loudly. Thor’s frown deepened and he stormed up to them.

“You catch on quickly. I’m impressed.”

“Lo—Tom. Can we talk?”

“We have nothing to talk about, _Chris._ ”

“Please?” Even though he was asking, there was a warning edge to his tone.

“Sounds to me like he doesn’t want to talk to you,” Rollo said haughtily.

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“ _You’re_ the one who interrupted _us,_ so the way I see it, it _does_ concern me.” Thor lifted his head in challenge, and Rollo did the same. Things didn’t go as planned, however, and Rollo ended up stumbling, with Loki attempting to catch him.

“Oh, for the love of… you can barely stand, fool.” Loki gave Rollo a hard shove into the nearest wall. He leaned in closer and whispered. “Save your strength to use against your _real_ enemy. Besides, even if you had been sober, you would not want to start a fight with this Neanderthal.”

“I may be drunk, but I’m not blind. We look to be of even strength.”

“These negotiations could be your one chance to leave Ragnar’s shadow and embark on your own path. Instead of picking a fight with _him,_ you should be focusing on improving your own image. You can start by bathing. You wouldn’t want to ruin your chances just because of your rancid body odor.”

“I wash just as much as everyone else. Besides, I don’t think Jarl Borg will care all that much.”

“Oh please. You smell like poor decisions.”

“Are you sure you’re not a distant relative of Siggy’s? Because you sound just like her,” Rollo teased. Loki only rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. Just because I’m sick of you telling me what to do.”

Loki watched Rollo leave, swaying the entire time. He knew the other man wasn’t going to do what he suggested. No one ever listened to him. He let out a sigh before turning to Thor, who was standing closer than before.

“Alright, _Chris,_ what is this about?”

“Can we go somewhere and talk privately?” Loki spread his arms wide.

“We’re the only ones here.”

“Please, Loki.” He wasn’t asking, this time. Loki could see he was slightly trembling, as if trying to hold in his anger.

“Fine. Let’s just get this over with so you’ll quit following me everywhere.”

~*~

When they returned to the earl’s residence, Ragnar’s family was having breakfast, along with Siggy and Thyri, Athelstan, Sif and the Warriors Three. Now that his leg was doing better, Hogun had started eating his meals with the others, instead of staying in bed all of the time. Sif called the two over, but Thor cut her off, saying they would be there shortly.

Thor opened the door to Bjorn’s room, which he had been sharing with Volstagg and Fandral during their stay, and Loki walked inside first. His body language was closed off, with his arms crossed and shoulders tense. He had his back towards Thor, not wanting to look at him. Loki stood there, waiting for the other man to say something. He had no idea what this was about, and since Thor was the one who wanted to talk, he should be the one to start.

“Is it him?” Thor growled. 

“Is _what_ him? Who are you talking about?”

“Is Rollo your soulmate?”

Where was this coming from? What was he talking about? Loki didn’t believe in soulmates, and even if he did, there was no way he would ever have one. He had been cursed from birth to never be happy. But he was pretending to be someone else. Was it possible that the Loki he was impersonating had one? And it was a _man?_

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would Rollo be—?”

“Then why are you spending so much time with him?” 

Loki had to fight the urge to turn around and glare at Thor. Even though his encounters with Rollo had been mere coincidences, and not always enjoyable since the mortal was always drunk and irritable, Loki was allowed to speak to whoever he wanted to. Who does Thor think he is?

“What business is it of yours who I choose to spend my time with? Rollo and I are both younger siblings who are controlled by our annoying older brothers and hated by the societies where we grew up. I thought you would be happy that I was spending time with someone who is like me. Isn’t that right, _Brother Dearest?_ ”

“No. That isn’t what I want. I want you all to myself.” Loki snorted.

“And why should I care about what you—?”

Wait. What did he just say? A deep chill ran up Loki’s spine and bile formed in his throat. He suddenly felt a strong urgency to escape, as if he were a small mammal cornered by a dangerous predator.

Because of how tense and stiff his muscles were, Loki was unable to put up any resistance when Thor spun him around and held him against his body. His eyes widened in horror as Thor kissed him, and he thought he was literally about to puke. Everywhere.

‘What sort of hellish nightmare have I walked into?’

Loki couldn’t believe his luck when the younger version of himself had suddenly appeared in his prison cell. Switching places with him in order to escape had been so easy. He thought things were finally looking up, that his freedom and peace of mind were within reach. But now, he actually envied the other Loki. Rotting in the dungeons was better than… this. 

Loki still had his arms crossed when Thor grabbed him, so he was trying to get them free and push him back. He managed to free one of them just as Thor maneuvered them onto the floor, with Loki pinned beneath his body weight. 

When they were children, Thor and Loki had wrestled plenty of times, with Thor usually ending up on top. It had always been easy for Loki to escape with a simple spell. And Thor had never completely restricted his ability to move. But this was different. Not only because he was trapped underneath Thor’s body, but because he couldn’t use magic to escape. He was supposed to have forgotten how to do magic. If he cast a spell to free himself, Thor would know he was an imposter. He couldn’t even fight back. He was totally helpless. Just as he had been when he was held captive by Thanos. But Loki would rather endure Thanos’ torture all over again instead of whatever Thor planned to do to him. 

“Loki… Loki…” Thor was rubbing his erection against Loki’s thigh, and no matter how much he squirmed, Loki was trapped. “Don’t go to him. Stay with me. I love you.”

Tears began to stream from Loki’s eyes and down his temples into his hair. He kept his lips pressed together and turned his head to the side. He had to try and get his nausea under control or else he was going to choke on his own vomit. And yet, that might not be such a bad thing. A quiet sob escaped as Thor trailed kisses along Loki’s throat and jawline. 

Loki’s eyes flew open in terror when he felt a hand fumbling with the waistline of his pants. But a second later, some of the weight pressing down on him lessened. Now was his chance. A dagger appeared in his left hand and he rotated it so the handle was near his thumb. He took a deep, shuddering breath and swallowed.

“Thor.” He felt the other man’s movements still for a moment. “Thor, I…”

“Yes, Loki?” Thor asked as he raised himself up on his elbows and peered down at Loki.

Loki gripped the dagger tightly before he slashed it across Thor’s face. As soon as he could move, Loki didn’t hesitate to flee from the room. He knew from experience that it was easier to hide a knife wound to the back or chest. But a long cut on the face was much more difficult to conceal. He wouldn’t have to worry about Thor pursuing him. Not unless he wanted to be questioned by his friends.

As he ran towards the main hall, Loki wiped furiously at his eyes. Every part of his body felt disgusting, as if it no longer belonged to him. When he ran into the hall, he saw that only Sif and the Warriors Three remained at the table.

“There you are. We saved you some breakfast,” Sif greeted. “Is Thor coming?”

“Where is everyone?”

“They went to go see Earl Ragnar off. Apparently, the Seer had some kind of vision and they needed to leave earlier than originally planned.” 

“No…” 

Loki yanked the door open and ran outside, ignoring the voices that were calling after him. He didn’t stop until he reached a large gathering of people. He shouldered his way through the crowd until he was almost near the front. His heart plummeted into his stomach as he watched the men—and Bjorn—departing on horseback, their forms growing smaller and smaller.

He was too late. He couldn’t blend in with them and sneak away as he’d planned. There was nowhere for him to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I start at my new full-time job on the 25th, and because I am also working on three other fics in addition to this one, updates will be less frequent. It is likely that I will only be able to update this story once per month. To everyone who is still reading this fanfic, thank you very much for your interest and your patience.


	14. Kattegat: Trouble In Paradise

Loki continued to stare ahead at Ragnar Lothbrok and the other men who were accompanying him on the assignment given by King Horik. Even after they were out of sight and the villagers began to disperse, he was frozen in place. Had it not been for the lingering mud, he would have fell to his knees.

What was he supposed to do now? Hogun and Sif suspected him of being an imposter, and then Thor had…

Bile rose in his throat and Loki held his stomach. He couldn’t even tell anyone what had just happened to him, because no one would believe him. He was afraid to return, in case Thor tried to do it again.

“Tom, are you alright?”

Loki turned his head towards the quiet, feminine voice. It was Ragnar’s daughter who had spoken. She, her mother, and Athelstan were walking together towards their home, followed closely by Siggy and her daughter. The young girl gazed up at him with curious and caring eyes.

“Did you come to see the men off?” Lagertha asked when the silence stretched a little too long.

“Yes.” Actually, he had come because he needed to get out of there, and because he wanted to see for himself if it was true that Ragnar was leaving earlier than expected.

“Well, why don’t we all go back inside? I think your friends were having breakfast together when we came here.”

“No, I—I can’t. I can’t go back there.”

“Did something happen?” Lagertha had her answer when he started shaking and gasping for air. “Athelstan, will you take Gyda home?”

“Yes,” the priest answered before he reached out and took hold of Gyda’s hand.

“Mother, is Tom alright?” Lagertha cupped Gyda’s cheeks and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“Do not worry, my sweet girl. I will take good care of him. Now, go with Athelstan.” After the others returned to the earl’s hall, Lagertha lightly gripped Loki’s arm. “Come, take a walk with me.” 

Loki had no idea where Lagertha was leading him, but he said nothing as he followed her out of the village. They kept going until they reached a wooded area that was still and quiet. Not even animal sounds could be heard. Any normal person would wonder if Lagertha was leading him out to murder him and bury his body in the woods. Even if that had been the case, Loki didn’t think he really would have cared all that much.

“When I feel overwhelmed and restless, I find that being surrounded by nature often helps. It is far enough away from the ears of other people, but it is quiet enough that the gods can hear our prayers, even when they are not spoken aloud.” Lagertha released Loki’s arm and took a few steps away before she paused and turned around to face him. “Will you be able to find your way back?” 

“Yes.”

“Alright. Then I will leave you alone with your thoughts. I hope that the gods will be able to bring you some peace. Perhaps you will be more fortunate than I and they will answer you.”

Loki listened for Lagertha’s retreating footsteps. When he could no longer hear her, he waited for another minute. He sent out a small pulse of magic to see if he could feel or sense anyone else nearby. He was completely alone.

Did Lagertha not realize how risky and dangerous it was to just leave him by himself? Of course, she didn’t. None of the mortals knew who he really was, and they had no reason to suspect him, other than the fact that he was a stranger from somewhere far away. Even Loki didn’t know what the Hel Australia was. It had to be a real place, though, because Thor wasn’t creative enough to come up with something on his own.

‘What are you doing thinking about that pervert?’ Loki felt a wave of nausea and a shiver wracked his body.

He could do it. He could just walk away and never look back. But he wouldn’t make it far. Loki realized that, even if he had been able to disguise himself and sneak away with Ragnar’s men, he would not truly be safe. It all had to do with Heimdall. Even though Loki had used his magic to hide himself from Heimdall’s gaze in the past, such as every time he visited Jotunheim and plotted Odin’s assassination with Laufey, the Gatekeeper still knew of his location despite being unable to see or hear him. He was certain that this Heimdall already knew he was a different Loki than the one he knew, so he would undoubtedly turn against him if Thor were to ask for his whereabouts. 

Why had he even bothered trying to escape his fate? He was even more trapped now than he had been in the dungeon.

Loki’s body stiffened and he clenched his hands tightly until his palms bled. He drew in several deep breaths before he turned his head towards the sky and screamed. He wondered if he had been loud enough for anyone to hear him. But in all honesty, he couldn’t care less. There was so much rage bubbling up inside him that he would spontaneously combust if he didn’t expel it somehow. How ironic, considering he was a Frost Giant.

As if he didn’t need another reason to be ticked off. Loki recalled what Hogun had said when he’d disguised himself as the priest and asked him questions about their journey. The other Loki knew he wasn’t Asgardian, because one or more of the memories he’d found provided clues to his birth realm. Was the other Loki as angry about the lies and deception as he had been? Would the other Loki walk the same path of destruction as he had?

‘What difference would it make? He will rot in that cell in my place. Instead of worrying about something that is no longer my problem, I should be focusing on how I am going to get out of this mess.’

At least the other Loki was fortunate enough to be where he was. If he stayed there, that meant that he would never fall into Thanos’ hands.

Loki paced for several minutes, his brow furrowed in concentration. When a headache started to form in the front of his skull, he heaved a sigh and leaned against a nearby tree. Every scenario he came up with had the same result. The only idea he had that might work depended on, no surprise, Heimdall. If he had been anyone else, then any request to use the Bifrost and travel to another realm would have to be granted. But because he was Loki, would Heimdall either ignore his request or send him to a realm that is more dangerous than he wanted to go to? 

One thing that Loki had wondered, and Hogun had not explained, was whether Heimdall knew where he had sent them after they’d arrived in a realm. If Heimdall had no control over which realm they were sent to, and he also did not know where he was sending them, then this might be Loki’s one chance to escape. He remembered what Thor had said, just before the Bifrost brought them here: we are ready to travel to the next world. If Loki went to the Bifrost site and repeated those words, would the Gatekeeper be on his side?

~*~ 

Several minutes after Loki ran out the front doors, Sif told the others that she was going to check on Thor. Thor had said they would only be gone a few minutes, and she assumed they had something to talk about. And then Loki was the first to appear, and he looked pale and shaken. When Thor did not follow, Sif became concerned.

“Thor, are you coming to breakfast?” Ragnar’s family had not yet returned, so there was no need to use their aliases.

“No, thank you. I’m not hungry.” There was something strange about his tone. He almost sounded like he was in pain.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m _fine,_ Sif. Just leave me be.”

Sif took a step back from the door and nibbled on her bottom lip. Even though Thor just seemed to want to be alone, the way he’d said it was hurtful. As if she had personally done something to wrong him. She mumbled a reply and then slowly returned to the dining hall. After she sat down at the table, she pushed her plate away. She no longer felt like eating.

“Thor’s not coming?” Fandral asked. 

“He said he wasn’t hungry.”

"More for us,” Volstagg said.

“Don’t forget to leave some for Lagertha and everyone else,” she chided as she rolled her eyes. “They ought to be returning soon.”

Less than a minute later, voices could be heard outside. One of the doors was opened, and Athelstan, Gyda, Siggy, and Thyri filed into the hall. The priest pulled the door closed after them.

“Have they all gone?” Fandral asked, referring to Ragnar and the other men who were accompanying him.

“Yes. They are gone,” Siggy answered as she and her daughter joined them at the table.

“Where is Lagertha?” Sif wondered aloud.

“She is speaking with your friend, Tom. He seemed to be upset,” Gyda replied. The young girl had a worried look on her face.

‘Does that have anything to do with Thor’s strange behavior?’ Sif thought. At least, she hoped, he wasn’t actually angry with _her._

“How is your leg today?” Siggy asked Hogun.

“It is much better. I should be able to walk around on my own in a few days.” The woman nodded, looking impressed.

“I wonder what it is about Australia that makes you heal so quickly.”

“Indeed,” Fandral said jovially. “We don’t even know, ourselves!”

“It must be some well-kept secret,” Thyri suggested, gazing up at the blond warrior through her dark eyelashes. Fandral smirked at her over his cup and winked.

Siggy’s eyes darted between the pair, and she had to restrain herself from saying anything. She understood why her daughter was interested in Fandral. Not only was he good-looking and charming, he was also much closer to her in age than Thyri’s now-deceased husband. Siggy’s husband, the previous earl, set up a marriage between Thyri and a Swedish king who was much older than her. The man was ugly, old, never bathed, and he treated Thyri like a slave, making her wait on him hand and foot. Only seconds after Ragnar’s victory in single combat, Siggy turned to where the king had been watching the fight and drove a dagger into his heart.

Since the strangers had arrived in Kattegat, Siggy had kept an eye on them. It wasn’t because Lagertha had asked her to, although she was certain that Lagertha was also observing their guests. It was because she had always been suspicious of every person she met, and there were very few people that she trusted. Siggy frequently watched Fandral flirt with many of the women, including her daughter. He almost reminded her of Rollo, the way he slept around despite their “relationship,” but unlike Rollo, Fandral didn’t seem to lash out when he’d been drinking. Perhaps she had not seen him when he was actually drunk, but she never saw him lose his temper. All Siggy wanted was for her daughter to be happy, and she was worried that Fandral would break her heart, whether through his actions or because he would be leaving the village as soon as his friend had recovered from his injuries.

The door opening drew everyone’s gazes. Lagertha stepped inside and pulled it closed. Sif rose slightly from her seat, about to ask where Loki was, but Gyda saved her from using the wrong name.

“Where is Tom?” Lagertha gazed at her daughter with a sweet smile.

“I took him to the woods so he could have some peace and quiet, and I hoped that he might be able to speak with the gods to ease his troubles.”

“He is alone?” Sif blurted out. Lagertha levelled her eyes on her.

“Yes. If you are worried that he will not be able to find his way back, it is not that far from the village.”

“That’s not—”

“Yes, that was what we were worried about,” Hogun interrupted and laid a hand on Sif’s arm. “He will probably be fine.”

Lagertha nodded once and placed a kiss on Gyda’s forehead before she stepped away from the table. Siggy wiped at her lips and rose from her seat.

“Are you not going to join us?”

“No, I do not believe so. I am not very hungry and I am feeling quite tired. Will you awaken me should something happen?” Siggy nodded and sat down again after Lagertha left the room.

“I miss Father and Bjorn,” Gyda said quietly. Athelstan turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile.

“If they manage to convince Jarl Borg to accept King Horik’s terms quickly, then I am sure they will be home very soon.”

“I am going to pray to the gods tonight for their fast and safe return.”

“That is a good idea.”

After most of the food had been eaten, Sif could no longer sit still. She got up and moved towards the door. When she turned around, she saw Hogun giving her a warning look.

“I am going to see if I can find him. To make sure he is alright.” As soon as she pulled the door open, she almost crashed into someone. “Oh!”

“Pardon me,” Loki said, and he walked past her.

“Where have you been?”

“Lagertha took me to the woods so I could have time to myself.” Well, at least their stories lined up. “What? Were you worried I’d run away?”

“Uh… n-no…” Actually, yes.

“Now, why would I do that? You would be able to easily track me down, since your brother is always keeping a watchful eye on our movements.” Sif sputtered. “I’m going to lie down. Tell me, priest, is there a way to lock your door?”

“No, I do not believe so.” Loki’s shoulders sagged. “If you want, I could wait by the door and make sure you are not disturbed.”

“Hmm. I think I will take you up on that offer.”

~*~

Thor had been pressing a hand to his face after Loki slashed it open. He wouldn’t have been able to follow the other man because of the blood pouring into his eyes. But he didn’t need his eyes to know that dark storm clouds were forming in the sky above Kattegat. 

He was angry, not only because Loki had wounded him, but because he wasn’t prepared for it. Thor certainly hadn’t expected Loki to react in such a way, despite how tense their relationship had been of late. He was used to Loki summoning his twin daggers with magic, and Loki still hadn’t remembered how to cast any spells. But then he remembered that realm they went to where a feather turned them into children, and Loki had used the daggers to climb a tree. Maybe he was wearing them until he knew how to make them disappear.

Thor probably shouldn’t have underestimated him. Even though Loki’s fighting skills were seriously lacking, at least in regards to how they used to be, he obviously wasn’t as helpless as Thor had originally thought. When the cut stopped bleeding, Thor used his clean hand to feel his surroundings for something to wipe his face. Once the blood had been cleared from his eyes, he heaved a sigh at the mess. He was going to have a difficult time explaining this. 

He dug through his bag and pulled his canteen out before pouring some water on his red cape. Most of the blood had ended up getting on his clothes or the nearby furs, but there was enough of it on the wooden floor to be noticeable. At least if he tried to clean it up with his cape, it would blend in a little. He doubted he would be able to get rid of all of it though, since blood was hard to remove with just water. When the stains in the wood were cleaned as much as they were going to be, there was a knock at the door.

“Thor, are you coming to breakfast?” Sif asked.

“No, thank you. I’m not hungry.” He hoped she would just go away, since his temper was volatile enough as it was. But Sif was never one to just let things go, especially when her friends were involved.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m _fine,_ Sif. Just leave me be.”

He knew she was still standing on the other side of the door, since he hadn’t heard her retreating footsteps. Thor held his breath and listened for her movements, pleading in his head that she would leave. He would never be able to come up with an excuse for the gash on his face, and he couldn’t let anyone see him until it was completely healed. Thor heard Sif mumble something, but it was either too quiet or too muffled by the door for him to understand what she said. And then he was finally able to release the breath he’d been holding.

He felt guilty for snapping at her, but it was the only way to get her to leave. But she would get over it. Thor had clashed with his friends about something or other on many occasions, so it wasn’t as if this was the first time.

After he rolled up his cape and tossed it towards his sleeping area, Thor leaned back against the nearest wall and tilted his head towards the ceiling. He still couldn’t believe Loki did that. He knew the other man was angry at him, but even before he lost his memories, Loki had never attacked him like that in anger. There was something else about their brief conversation that was bothering him. Loki had kept calling him “brother.” Before the memory loss, it wasn’t unusual for Loki to refer to him in that manner, but afterwards, Thor couldn’t remember him using that term. He never called him “brother” between the time he awakened and he learned of his Frost Giant heritage. As far as he knew, Loki always called him by his name.

“Why would he suddenly start calling me ‘brother’ when he knows we are not related by blood? It doesn’t make any sense, especially because we have kissed and lain together. Was he saying it to mock me somehow?” It wouldn’t have been the first time Loki made fun of Thor’s feelings, but that was the old Loki.

Thor continued to ponder this conundrum, and he wasn’t able to come up with any answers. It was only after he decided to think of something else that he realized the consequences of his actions. Would Loki tell the others what had just happened? Thor seriously hoped not, and he doubted somewhat that Loki would say anything. If he did, the others would then know of their unbrotherly relationship. Or they would not believe him. Although this was good for Thor, he felt bad that Sif and the Warriors Three still did not trust Loki. But several minutes passed and no one came. Not even Sif, who had seen them together in the other Asgard. As far as he was aware, she was the only one who knew or had a suspicion about them. He would have known if she had told the others because they would have asked him if it was true. 

Thor breathed out a long sigh and allowed his tense muscles to relax. Loki hadn’t told anyone. Their secret was still safe. He rubbed a hand over his face in relief, and it felt as if the wound was nearly healed. All that remained was a slight sting and the thinnest mark.

“I should probably just try and talk to him the next time. I don’t think I would be able to come up with an excuse if he wounded me again.” 

Thor turned his head slightly when he heard approaching footsteps. He got up quietly and pressed his ear against the door. After the footsteps passed, he peaked into the hall to see who they belonged to. He managed to catch a glimpse of Lagertha’s back before she entered her own room and closed the door. Thor shut the door and sat on the floor again. 

So, it hadn’t been Loki. He didn’t know why he had gotten his hopes up. Loki wouldn’t be interested in talking to him this soon. Knowing Loki, he would be angry and give Thor the cold shoulder for a while. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d avoided speaking to Thor for several days. But Thor sincerely hoped he wouldn’t have to wait that long. He still wanted to talk to Loki about the memory he recovered about Sleipnir. He wanted to give his side of the story and explain why he stopped Loki from saving the foal. He hoped that, after doing so, then they might be able to repair their relationship. That was the main reason he had been trying to speak to him all week, and that was his original intention when he sought him out. But seeing Loki and Rollo together made Thor’s vision turn red, and he wasn’t thinking clearly. He probably could have handled the situation better, but Thor was not exactly known for his restraint.

“I should probably think of what I’m going to say to him so that I don’t mess up.”

He thought of multiple hypothetical conversations in his head, but none of them sounded right. He gave up when a dull ache began to form in his skull. This would be much easier if he was as talented of a wordsmith as Loki has always been. Then, he realized it didn’t even matter. He didn’t need to use flowery language, he just needed to tell Loki the truth.

His attention was drawn towards the door again when he heard voices. He couldn’t determine how many from where he was sitting, so he moved closer and listened. One of the voices sounded like it belonged to the priest. He heard another one that was a little bit softer. They stopped just outside Athelstan’s room, and then he heard the second voice again, much clearer, this time. It was Loki.

Thor got up and was about to open the door, but he paused and reached a hand towards his face. Was the wound completely gone, along with any evidence that it had been there? He picked up his cape again and poured a little more water on it, and he scrubbed at his skin and his hair. 

When he opened the door, he saw the priest sitting outside his room against the wall. He gave Thor a small smile and nodded once in greeting.

“Good morning.” He didn’t appear to be shocked by Thor’s appearance, and he didn’t make any comments about it. So, the wound must have completely healed.

“What are you doing sitting on the floor?”

“Your friend, Tom, is in there. He did not want to be disturbed, so I offered to sit here.”

“Has he fallen asleep yet?” Thor had to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

“I am not sure. He just went in. I can ask him if he wants to talk to you.”

“Yes. Please do.” Athelstan turned slightly and rapped his knuckles on the door.

“Tom, are you still awake?”

“Yes. What do you want, priest?”

“Chris is out here and he wanted to speak to you.”

“Tell him to go away. I have nothing to say to him.” 

Athelstan looked up at him and shrugged apologetically. Thor grit his teeth and clenched his hands into tight fists. He moved until his forehead was pressed against the door. 

“Please, just give me a chance to explain myself. To tell you how sorry I am.”

“You said your apology. Now, leave me alone.”

“Please!”

Athelstan’s brow furrowed in concern. He wasn’t an assertive person, so he didn’t feel comfortable forcing the man to leave. But it also sounded like the two friends had had some sort of disagreement, and Chris was trying to make amends. Athelstan practiced a religion that was heavily focused on forgiveness, so he hoped that they could sort out their differences. It wouldn’t feel right to get in the way.

“Priest, are you still out there?” Loki asked after a while.

“Yes. I am still here.”

“Stay where you are. Chris can say what he needs to say, but he is not allowed to open the door.”

“I understand.”

Thor mentally cursed. He had expected that Loki would not let him in the room, but the priest’s presence was problematic. Thor couldn’t be completely open with Loki and say everything he wanted to say without giving away their identities.

“Hurry up, _Brother Dearest._ ”

There he goes again, calling him ‘brother.’ Something about it didn’t feel right, but Thor couldn’t figure out what it was. That wasn’t important right now, however.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier.”

“Why?” 

Thor spared a glance at Athelstan, but he was looking the other way. Not that it mattered. Thor still couldn’t voice any specific details aloud while he was sitting there.

“You had every right to react the way you did.” There was a sigh on the other side of the door. “What was that for?”

“You can’t even acknowledge what you did wrong.”

“Well, of course not. I would if it was just the two of us.”

“Do you really think I would allow you anywhere near me without any witnesses? How can I ever trust you again after what you did?”

“Lo—damn it. Tom! I said I was sorry! What else can I do?”

“You can swear to never come near me again.”

“But I—”

“Athelstan, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Athelstan’s ears perked up. That was the first time the other man had called him by his name. Most people just called him “priest” in a scathing tone that mocked his religion and faith. Tom’s voice sounded so tired, and Athelstan’s heart went out to him. He hoped he would be able to find some peace.

“I think you should go, now. He needs his rest,” Athelstan said quietly.

Thor kept his forehead pressed to the door, and his breaths came out as sharp hisses through his clenched teeth. He knew the priest wouldn’t be able to physically force him to leave, and Thor could easily deliver a blow to the head that would knock him unconscious for a long time. And then, nothing would be able to stop him from opening that door and—

He stood up straight and staggered backwards. Where had those thoughts come from? Thor would never harm an unarmed, innocent person. He was going to rule Asgard one day, and one of his duties was to protect the people of Midgard. Had he really just considered hurting Athelstan in order to get to Loki? And if he had done that, what would have happened after he had Loki alone?

Thor turned suddenly and started to make his way towards the main hall, but he came to an abrupt stop. He needed some air, but if he went out there, he knew his friends would ask a bunch of questions. Instead, he went back the way he’d come and entered Bjorn’s room. He fell to his knees and clutched his cape to his chest. He buried his face in the cloth and let out a muffled scream. Then, he listened to the loud patter of the rain hitting the roof. He hoped it would soothe him, but it only seemed to darken his mood, if the rumbles of thunder were anything to go by.


	15. Kattegat: A Plague O'er Both Your Houses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've seen the season 1 finale of Vikings, then you know what this chapter will be about. The title is, of course, from Romeo and Juliet.

The rain lasted two days and nights. Thor did not leave Bjorn’s room once during that time, and he ignored every attempt by his friends to find out what was causing him to flood the village (figuratively speaking, of course). The third day was sunny, and much of the standing water dried up, leaving behind a thick sludge. That night, Loki snuck out of the earl’s hall by once again transforming into a mouse. Hogun, pretending to be asleep, witnessed this and asked Athelstan to bring Jaimie to him. When Sif arrived, Hogun gestured for her to move closer.

“Loki is up to something. He transformed and left the room. You have to find him,” the Vanir hissed next to her ear. 

Sif nodded and ran outside. As she stood in front of the entrance to the earl’s hall, she looked in every direction. It was the middle of the night, and the village was deserted, except for a few drunken men who had fallen asleep against a wall before they were able to make it home. Loki was nowhere in sight.

“If you were Loki, where would you go? Why would you sneak out in the middle of the night?” She whispered to the night air. It only took her a second to realize it. “In order to escape.”

Sif hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should go back inside and grab her weapons. But there was no time for that. She cursed under her breath and ran in the direction of the Bifrost site. Along the way, she picked up a large stick, or perhaps it was a broken oar from a fishing boat. Normally, such an object would do her no good in battle. But perhaps, in the darkness, Loki might be fooled into believing that it was a dangerous weapon.

As Sif rounded the grouping of shrubs and entered the clearing, she saw a crouched figure on the ground. She didn’t need any light to know it was Loki. She could hear him gasping for air, and he appeared to be digging through the mud. He was trying to uncover the Bifrost markings, which had been hidden by the rain. At the rate he was going, it would take hours for him to remove all of the mud. She wondered to herself why he didn’t just use a spell to get rid of the mud. Maybe he had tried and it didn’t work.

Loki hadn’t ceased or slowed his movements, so he was not yet aware of Sif’s presence. She crept closer, and when she was standing just behind him, she lowered the stick and touched it to the side of his neck.

“Stop, Loki. You can’t escape.” For a while, the only sounds that fell from the man’s lips were shuddering breaths.

“I suppose I cannot convince you to look the other way.”

“Not in a million years. Now, get up.”

“Just this once, Sif, let me go. Please, I beg of you.” Sif snorted.

“ _You? Beg?_ Even if you were being sincere, I’m not letting you out of my sight for a—” The rest of her words became lodged in her throat when Loki hunched forward and gripped his hair in his mud-caked hands. This might seem slightly less strange if it had been the other Loki, who had forgotten how much he fretted about his appearance. But this was a different Loki, one who did not have any memory loss, and yet, here he was… “Loki?”

“I cannot stay here. I have to get away from him.”

“From who?” He did not answer. “From Thor?”

“Do _not_ … say his name!” He wrapped his arms around his middle and curled inward on himself. 

“What is going on between you two? You have been avoiding him ever since we came here. Then, after you two spoke privately, you ran out so suddenly. Thor has been acting distant, as well, but he will not speak to us. What happened?” She demanded. 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” 

“Just answer my question.” 

She pressed the stick to his throat again. Loki stilled, and then he sat up slowly. The stick followed his movement.

“He tried to force himself on me.”

“You lie.” He laughed bitterly.

“See? I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Thor would _never_ do that,” she insisted.

The memory of seeing them together still left a bitter taste in her mouth. Sif had to remind herself that this was not the same Loki. This Loki didn’t know about their unbrotherly relationship, so perhaps it was merely a harmless gesture and a misunderstanding. And yet, the way this Loki was acting, how desperate he was to get away, created a tiny sliver of doubt. What if he was telling the truth? What if Thor really had…?

She remembered knocking on the door of Bjorn’s room after Loki ran out and the way Thor snapped at her. She knew there had been something odd about his behavior, but at the time she paid little mind to it.

“I used to believe that, as well. But now I know that even _he_ is capable of it,” Loki said quietly. He remained kneeling on the ground and tried to wipe the mud from his hands on his trousers. 

“Are you telling the truth?” He heaved a sigh.

“Yes, I am telling the truth. Shocking, I know.”

“No…” Sif’s bottom lip trembled, and she bit down on it. Thor was a good and noble man. He would never behave this way. “Why?” 

“That is the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” Sif’s brow furrowed at his words. It must have been something he’d heard somewhere else, because she was not familiar with that phrase. Loki released another sigh. “It appears my hopes of leaving this realm have been crushed. I am still trapped here with that _pervert_.”

“Assuming that you _are_ telling the truth, you don’t _actually_ believe Thor would do it again.” Even in the darkness, she could see his shoulders tense.

“You weren’t there, Sif. You didn’t see the way he looked at me. You didn’t hear the way he spoke to me.” He let out a shuddering breath. “I was only able to get away because I used my dagger to cut his face as he held me down. Thor may be a half-wit, but he won’t make the same mistake twice. If he wants something _that_ badly, he will use any means necessary to get his hands on it.”

As each word left Loki’s mouth, Sif felt more and more nauseous. The Trickster had always used his Silver Tongue to get out of bad situations. The things he said now were nothing like the white lies he’d used in the past to cover up his guilt. What reason would he have to say such things aloud unless they were the truth? 

“Let’s get one thing straight. I still don’t trust you, and I have no intention of letting you slip away. But if it will put you at ease, I will keep Thor distracted.” She had her own reasons to draw Thor’s attention away from him. 

“That is quite a responsibility. Are you sure that you can handle it, _Lady Sif?_ ” 

Loki wrapped his fingers around the stick and shoved it away before he rose from the ground. Sif stumbled back and tossed the stick aside as Loki began walking towards the village. 

“How did you know?” She asked, close on his heels.

“Swords do not smell like mildew and rot.” Sif fought back a groan. Of course, it would be something as simple as that. “I do hope you intend to deliver on your claim. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m counting on you.”

“And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to help you.” This time, Loki’s chuckle held its familiar sarcastic bite.

“Are you really helping me, though? Or are you just doing this to help yourself?”

“What difference does it make? Yes, my reasons are selfish, but the results are the same, are they not?”

“That depends on whether or not you can keep up your end of the bargain.” He casually shrugged a shoulder. “We shall see, won’t we?”

~*~

Breakfast was a silent yet tense affair. Hogun went to lie down after he had finished eating, his leg healed enough that he could walk on his own but still needed help standing. Loki got up from the table as soon as Thor entered the room. Sif watched the thunder god scowl at his plate, not touching it.

At the high table, Lagertha was also ignoring her meal. She kept staring ahead of her at something that only she could see. Siggy offered her something else to eat, but Lagertha solemnly shook her head.

“You haven’t eaten in three days,” Gyda said. Lagertha took a bite and slowly chewed, then continued to stare at nothing. “You see?”

“I have fears.” Siggy set her goblet down with an audible tap.

“Go to the Seer, ask if your fears will come true,” she suggested.

“It’s sometimes better not to know one’s fate.” Athelstan looked over at her in concern.

“If it will help you feel more comfortable, I am interested in visiting the Seer,” Sif said. She had promised Loki the night before that she would keep an eye on Thor, but she doubted that he would try anything while Hogun was also in the room. Assuming he did anything, at all. “Hogun’s leg will be fully healed soon, and I would like to know… what the gods have in store for us.”

“Alright.” Lagertha forced a thin smile and nodded once. “We will go together.”

After asking Fandral, Volstagg, and Thor if they wanted to come along, Sif and Lagertha went to the Seer’s tent alone. As they were standing outside, Sif held open the flap and gestured for Lagertha to enter.

“You should go first. Your need is greater than my own.” 

The truth was, Sif had no idea if she was supposed to say or do something first before asking the Seer questions. Lagertha went inside, and Sif spared a quick glance. She immediately straightened when she caught a glimpse of the Seer. He was an old man, wearing a black hooded cloak. There was shriveled flesh where his eyes should have been. Sif wondered if the visions he had were all in his head.

“Why have you come?” The Seer asked after Lagertha was seated before him. Was this a question he asked everyone who came to see him, or did he somehow know to whom he was speaking?

“I am frightened for my husband.”

“Do you think your husband is in some kind of danger?”

“I’ve had strange and disturbing dreams.”

“What happens in your dreams?”

“Dark shapes come to me at night. Monstrous forms,” Lagertha whispered, a slight tremor in her voice. “When I wake, they skulk in the shadows, shapeless, but no sooner am I asleep than they creep forward again.”

“Ah, yes. The shadows come from Hel’s hall. No one can ensnare them, not even the gods.”

Sif felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Creatures from Hel were entering the mortal realm? Was this caused by one of Loki’s feathers? And what did the Seer mean that these shadows could not be ensnared by the gods? This was ill news, indeed. 

“What is it that they want?” Lagertha asked.

“To take something from you.”

“My life?”

“No, something far more important to you than that.”

“My husband’s life?” The Seer grimaced. “Tell me.”

“Why must you all force me up and unearth me to sorrows?” He hissed. “Your husband is in danger, but not for his life. He is in danger from the magical world.”

“How?” The Seer inhaled deeply but remained silent. “Answer me.” 

“I was unwilling to speak and I will say no more now!”

Sif leaned forward and peaked inside again when Lagertha was quiet. She watched as the Seer held out his hand, and Lagertha took it. Sif’s stomach heaved as Lagertha swiped her tongue across the Seer’s palm. She backed away just in time before the other woman turned and saw her watching. Sif tried to keep her expression neutral. After Lagertha exited the tent, she stood still and silent for a while. She then turned her gaze in Sif’s direction but did not look directly at her.

“Perhaps you will have more luck than I. Do you remember the way back?” Sif nodded. “I think I am going to lie down.”

Sif waited a few more seconds after Lagertha left and then lifted the tent flap. The grin on the Seer’s face made her skin crawl.

“I wondered when I would be seeing you here,” he commented as she sat down. Sif’s brow furrowed at his choice of words. Was her assumption correct that he was able to see somehow without having eyes? “Why are you here?”

Again, Sif found his word choice curious. Did he mean why was she here to see him? Or why was she in Kattegat?

“My friend, Hogun, will soon be healed and we will be leaving. I have come to ask what the gods have in store.”

“That depends…” The Seer tilted his head up, as if searching for something in the sky. “Are you asking on behalf of yourself or those who are traveling with you?”

Sif’s heart skipped a beat. Was something going to happen to her? Would she be separated from her friends? Why else would he say such a thing?

“I want to know if we will be successful in our quest.” The Seer made a strange noise.

“Yes. But at great cost.”

“How great? Is someone going to die?”

“We all must die. Some take longer than others to arrive at that final destination… as you well know.” Sif swallowed and steeled her features.

“Do you know who I am?”

“I know that you are not who you say you are.”

“Are you going to tell Lagertha?” Her hand reached for her sword.

“No.” Sif’s hand froze just above the hilt. “As you said, you and your traveling companions will depart from here, soon. I have seen no indication that you will ever return. You have not posed any threat to Kattegat, so there is no reason for me to report you.” 

“I see.” She lowered her arm to her side and relaxed her tense muscles. “I thank you for your secrecy.” What he had told her, about success at great cost, weighed heavily upon her heart. “Is there anything you can tell me… a way to prevent that future from happening?”

“Not even _you_ can stop that which is already set in motion. Frigg, the goddess of prophecy, herself, cannot alter that which is inevitable.” 

The Seer held out his hand, and Sif had to fight back a grimace. It appeared that their conversation was over. Sif mimicked Lagertha’s movements and placed her hand beneath his own. After inhaling deeply, she leaned forward and licked his palm. She released his hand and left the tent in a hurry. As she made her way back to the earl’s hall, she spat upon the ground. Hopefully, there would be some wine or ale when she got there. The sickness in her stomach was not caused by what she’d just done, nor the lingering taste in her mouth.

‘Perhaps Lagertha was right. Sometimes it is better to not know one’s fate.’

~*~

Because she was plagued by creeping shadows in her dreams, Lagertha could not find any rest. In order to try and ease her troubled mind, or to just use as a minor distraction, she decided to do some weaving. Siggy was already in the room working when she stepped up to her project. The other woman looked over at her.

“What did the Seer tell you?”

“He said that it’s true, that Ragnar is in danger.”

“From whom?”

“I don’t know.” Siggy got up from the table and approached. Lagertha leaned forward and closely examined her yarn.

“Who do you think?” Lagertha stilled for a moment before she turned and met Siggy’s gaze.

“I think he is in danger from himself.” Lagertha went back to her weaving. She then heard Siggy make a noise, as if she was about to be sick. The other woman had a hand to her mouth. “Siggy, what is it?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Lagertha stepped closer to her, indicating that she was listening. “I visited my cousin a few days ago. She had just buried her young son.”

“Why did he die?” Siggy returned to her seat and folded her hands on top of the table.

“One day he was fine, and the next, he caught a fever that made him sweat and cry out in the night, and the next day… she put him in the ground.”

Lagertha turned away. Behind her, Siggy breathed out a sigh.

The next day, Siggy came into the hall from outside, wearing a shawl around her shoulders. As she walked to where Thyri was talking to another woman, her steps wavered and she had to hold onto the table edges for support. Her breaths came out in shallow gasps. Some of the servants who were chopping vegetables for the evening meal looked up from their work and watched her. Before she could reach her daughter, Siggy’s vision swam for a moment, and then she fainted.

~*~

“How much longer do you think it will be before your friend is ready to travel?” Lagertha asked. She was pulling at a loose string on her shirt.

“He is still a little stiff when he tries to walk, but I think it would be alright for him to travel,” Sif answered. “If we have over-stayed our welcome—”

“No, no. It is nothing like that.” She let out a tired sigh. “Siggy told me that she visited her cousin recently, and that she had to bury her son after he succumbed to fever. It appears that Siggy now has this fever, and I fear that it will spread in Kattegat just as it did in the other village. Already, some others are beginning to fall ill. I do not want any of you to become afflicted by this fever, so I believe it would be best if you leave as soon as possible.”

“You need not worry about us. We are unaffected by plagues and other illnesses. We would like to help in any way we can, in order to repay you for your hospitality.” 

“Perhaps I should take my family and move to Australia. Your people seem to be immune to a lot of things that we are not.” Lagertha sighed again and nodded. “I thank you for your help, and I welcome it.”

Over the next several days, more and more of the villagers succumbed to the plague. The earl’s hall was transformed into a makeshift hospital, and rows upon rows of the sick lined the floors, including Siggy, Thyri, and Gyda. Lagertha, Athelstan, Sif, Loki, and a few others treated the ever-increasing number of the sick. Thor, Fandral, and Volstagg helped with building wooden pyres and removing the ever-increasing number of the dead. Hogun remained in Athelstan’s room. He was not happy about it, but Sif insisted that it was better that he not be exposed, despite the fact that he was immune. Besides, due to the vast numbers of patients, there was no time for any of them to help him get up and walk about. Someone would bring his meals and empty his chamber pot whenever they could, but there was time for little more than that. Hogun grumbled for a few seconds, but he agreed to stay behind.

As Loki moved from patient to patient, giving them water to stay hydrated and changing the cloths on their foreheads, he was filled with anger. He could easily help these people and lower their fevers with his magic. But he was unable to do anything. Sure, these were all strangers, not to mention Midgardians, but he wasn’t completely heartless. He felt useless. So many people were dying that he could have saved.

He looked up from the person he was seeing to and watched Lagertha. She was taking care of Siggy and offering her water. Siggy pushed the cup away with a frail hand. She was so weak.

“No, please. Look after my daughter… first,” Siggy croaked.

Lagertha turned to where Athelstan was placing a cool cloth to Thyri’s forehead. The shieldmaiden looked exhausted. She already hadn’t been eating or sleeping much before the plague came to Kattegat. Now, she was getting none, at all. 

The following day, Athelstan became ill. Whenever she was not taking care of others, Lagertha was constantly tending to the priest and her daughter. After giving Athelstan some water, Lagertha moved nearby to check on Gyda. The little girl’s skin was of a gray pallor. 

“I am going to die,” Gyda said quietly.

“No, you are not going to die,” Lagertha hissed. “The Seer might think that he is the only one in Kattegat with the gift of prophecy. But he’s _wrong,_ and I _know_ you are not going to die.”

~*~

Soon, it came to the point that so many people had become ill that there were barely enough to gather and burn the dead. Bodies were scattered everywhere in the village. Corpses were leaning against the sides of houses and lying along the pier. There were more livestock roaming through the village than humans. 

Thor, the Warriors Two, and the small number of villagers who remained healthy were unable to rest. Every minute, more and more bodies were piled upon carts and hauled away to be burned. As soon as a cart was emptied, it was replenished almost immediately. The sky was so thick with black smoke that it looked like perpetual night.

After what had felt like an eternity, Siggy’s fever broke. As she sat up and looked around the room, fear filled her heart. None of the faces she saw were her daughter’s. She crawled along the floor and pulled the blankets away from the dead. When she uncovered Thyri, a sob ripped from her throat.

“No! No!!!” She wailed and clutched her daughter’s body to her chest, gently rocking her. “No!” 

Lagertha watched the grieving mother from where she sat at Gyda’s side. First, Siggy’s two young sons were kidnapped and murdered; the culprit still had not been found. Then, her husband was killed by Ragnar in single combat. Now, her daughter was dead. Siggy had no one left in this world.

“Athelstan?” Gyda murmured. She tried to turn her head towards him, but she was too weak. Lagertha gazed at the priest.

“He is so weak that he cannot eat,” Lagertha answered as she stroked Gyda’s cheek with her thumb.

“Pray to the gods. Please, for him.” Lagertha nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her daughter had always been so gentle and caring of others, and ever since Ragnar had brought him back from England, she had liked the priest. Despite being a Christian. 

After she made another round of the hall, Lagertha asked Sif to look after Gyda and Athelstan while she stepped out for a moment. Lagertha ordered one of the men to bring her a goat while she found a large bowl. The man brought a goat with a rope tied around its neck, and he held it still as Lagertha placed the bowl beside it.

“Lord of Lords, we make this offering to you, hoping you will find it pleasing.” 

She then took a knife and sliced open the goat’s throat. The animal’s blood was collected in the bowl. Lagertha knelt and dipped her fingers into the bowl. She traced her fingertips across her forehead and cheek. Her eyes were cold like steel.

~*~

The next morning, Athelstan’s fever broke. He immediately crawled over to check on Gyda. When he found her, she was lying still with her eyes open and unblinking.

“Gyda...” 

Athelstan’s eyes closed and he hung his head. Gyda was the only person in Ragnar’s family, and in the entire village, who had not treated him cruelly. She was always so kind and selfless. She would never hurt anyone or anything. Why did she have to die while he lived? Was God punishing him for living among the pagans instead of trying to convert them? Was he being punished because he was eagerly listening to the stories about Óðinn and Þórr rather than telling stories from the Holy Bible and Christ’s teachings?

After learning of her daughter’s death, Lagertha made for her a flower crown. She braided Gyda’s beautiful hair and placed the crown on the top of her head. A crowd of villagers gathered to watch the lighting of the funeral pyre for the earl's daughter. Athelstan was among them, standing just over Lagertha’s shoulder.

Lagertha’s expression remained unchanging as she laid Gyda upon a pyre and lit the wood with a torch. She then stood and watched as the flames consumed her little girl’s body. She was so exhausted that she could not even shed tears.

~*~

“You all have done enough. You should go.” Lagertha’s voice was dull and lifeless. “Thank you for helping us when you did not have to.”

“I am so sorry for your loss,” Sif said. What light remained in Lagertha’s eyes seemed to vanish. 

“I have lost my daughter. And now I fear that I am going to lose my husband.” Lagertha turned away and left the room.

Sif wished she could comfort the grieving mother somehow, but it was not her place. Besides, it was time for them to move on. Everyone knew this.

While he had been confined to the priest’s room, Hogun removed the splint from his leg. When he was told that they were leaving, he managed to stand on his own. There was still a slight limp, since he was not accustomed to walking without his leg being restrained.

“I am sorry that I could not be of any help to you,” Hogun said as he lifted his bag over his shoulder and limped down the corridor.

“No need to apologize, my friend,” Fandral said from beside him, letting his hand linger on Hogun’s back should he stumble.

“Besides, I don’t think there was any more that we could have done,” Volstagg said wearily. “Not without giving ourselves away, at least.”

“And even if that wasn’t an issue, Loki still doesn’t have any of his magic back. So, he wouldn’t have been able to heal the villagers, anyway.”

“Hmm,” Hogun murmured. “I am glad that we are finally leaving this place.”

“It wasn’t so bad.” Volstagg snorted.

“That’s because you hardly went five minutes without having a beautiful woman draped over your arm. Poor Hogun was confined to that small room. I probably would have knocked the walls down with my axe.”

“Honestly, you all are complaining like old women,” Sif chided from the end of the hall. 

“Our apologies, Lady Sif,” Fandral said with his charming grin. The shieldmaiden rolled her eyes. When they entered the main hall, Thor was standing by the door while Loki stood outside with his arms crossed. The sun was beginning to go down. “You could cut the tension in here with a knife.”

“Yes, I wonder what has upset Thor so,” Volstagg muttered under his breath. “He is not acting like himself.”

“Agreed. And Loki is acting even more like his old self.”

Hogun and Sif shared a look.

~*~

Lagertha stood near the shoreline and stared out into the darkness, the smoldering pyres her only companions. There was nothing left inside her heart. No love, no light, no joy, no comfort. Only a festering wound.

Why had the gods taken so much from her? First, her unborn son, and now her precious daughter. And the Seer told her that they were going to take her husband, as well. What had she done to anger them? Again, her questions went unanswered. The only sounds were the crackling embers and the waves crashing along the shore.

As she continued to stare ahead, a single beam of light appeared in the sky. She watched the clouds part and a column of bright colors struck the ground, causing the earth to shake. Lagertha had never seen such a thing before. Normally, it would appear to be a sign from the gods, and it would fill her with hope. 

But as the light vanished almost as soon as it appeared, she felt nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not over Gyda's death. It would have been amazing to see what she might have become if she had lived to adulthood. Would she have become a fierce warrior like Lagertha, or would she have retained her kind and gentle nature? Unfortunately, we'll never know. 
> 
> Thor 2 and Loki 1 are in the next chapter!


End file.
